CUTTING DOWN ON RED TAPE. Francel Martinez (standing), president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry, asks the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to conduct another roadshow on the Ease of Doing Business Act. The PCOO was on a two-day roadshow and campus caravan here Wednesday and Thursday (Nov. 27-28, 2019), for discussions on Freedom of Information, "Rehabinasyon", and Media Security, among others. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) has asked key officials of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to conduct a roadshow on the Ease of Doing Business law.
Francel Martinez, who is also a member of the Negros Oriental Investment and Promotions Center, made the suggestion and also raised his concerns during the PCOO’s 16th Roadshow at Silliman University here Wednesday.
Martinez said he was “happy and pleased with the roadshow because it gives people a lot of information”, referring to the key topics discussed, such as the Freedom of Information (FOI) program of President Rodrigo Duterte, the government's all-encompassing Rehabinasyon anti-illegal drugs campaign, and media security.
He, however, said it would be helpful to this particular sector if PCOO would conduct another roadshow on the Ease of Doing Business, considering the tedious processes and the long list of requirements for starting a business venture.
“Certain government offices have this attitude of 'pabalik balik' (making us go back and forth), there are so many signatures, and too many irrelevant requirements,” he said.
Martinez also suggested that if possible, the implementing rules and regulations of the Ease of Doing Business Act should be “very short, very simple and understandable by a Grade 6 student.”
“That is what our people need, especially in the business sector, because we are tax conscious and because our government needs taxes,” he said.
Martinez said they are also conscious of employment because investors cannot do their business alone and therefore have to generate employment and “we want our businesses to succeed because they generate taxes and our government needs taxes.”
In response, lawyer Kristian R. Ablan, Assistant Secretary and FOI Philippines program director, said they will take note of Martinez’s suggestion while sharing to the audience in the multi-sectoral roadshow forum that “we have an instruction coming from Cabinet Sec. (Karlo) Nograles for PCOO to tie up with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to come up with our communications plan on how to implement the Ease of Doing Business.”
Ablan said that based on their observations, many people, including policy-makers, think that a policy “will automatically implement itself” but in reality, there is a need for a good communications plan for the public and for fellow public servants on how to proceed with the policy.
“We are actually talking with ARTA to determine which agencies have the most red tape and this is being addressed right now,” he said.
Once everything is in place, Ablan said the PCOO will come up with an audio-visual presentation explaining the Ease of Doing Business law, and the earliest would be by next year, he added. (PNA)
