By Emmanuel P. Solis
LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 20 (PNA) — The Business Permits and Licensing System Office of this city has implemented a program to speed the issuance of business permits.
Legazpi City was recently chosen by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the International Finance Corp.-World Bank as one of the pilot local government units (LGUs) to implement this program called the Regulatory Simplification of Local Government Units (RSLGU), City BPLS Office chief Asuncion Calleja said in an interview Tuesday.
The RSLGU is the process of reducing the steps in and removing specific elements to speed up the system of issuing business permits by the BPLS Office, especially during renewal period of business establishments operating in the locality.
“This system would help attract more investors and generate more income towards the continuous economic growth of Legazpi City,” Calleja said.
Though this RSLGU program, she added, her office has already given to the barangays the application forms and the list of business establishments operating at their own respective areas.
The village officials have released it already to the business owners during the issuance of barangay clearance.
Calleja said that through the reduction of steps in this new system, her office has been decongested in this year’s issuance of business permits because the other related work for processing clearances and permits are already being done in the barangays.
Through the one-stop shop scheme that this city is implementing, the processing of business permits of the owners of establishments is now very simple and efficient.
“They, however, can no longer go to the other buildings to get the other requirements because all the requirements to be complied with before they can operate their business can already be had from representatives of concerned offices,” Calleja said.
These include the clearances at the offices of the Legazpi City Engineering, Health, Bureau of Fire Protection and other concerned units.
The one-stop shop scheme is the process of reducing the time consumed in claiming business permits.
Through this system, Calleja said, the BPLS Office has courtesy lanes for pregnant women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Legazpi City was recognized by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo as one of the most Business Friendly Local Government Units in the entire country in 2011 through the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Response to Eliminate Red Tape and the effectiveness of the delivery of basic services of issuing business permits in the locality. (PNA)