The Anti Red Tape Authority is also mandated to go after government employees engaging in corrupt activities

The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is bent on launching a national business one stop shop center which aims to ease the burden of doing business in the country.

This was announced by ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica during a Wednesday media forum held at Kapihan sa Manila Bay in Malate. He said that all agencies of the government have been enlisted to come up with a scheme where investors can have their permits done in a short period of time.

All lines agencies of the national government and a representative of the private sectors have been enlisted to create a grand move to ease the burden of securing business permits whether they be national or local in scope.

Also enlisted are local government units. The agency is tapping the League of Mayors and advising them to incorporate a policy that will be used as the template for all applicants.

Among the national government agencies concerned are Departments of Trade and Industry, Interior and Local Government, Finance; and Information and Communications Technology as well as the Bureau of Internal Revenue and PhilHealth.

Belgica said that the move was in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order on making it easy for the business applicants to get their permit as fast as possible.

The ARTA is also mandated to go after government employees engaging in corrupt activities by delaying applications for businesses permits forcing applicants to shell out cash to hasten approval. Belgica warned they will be caught as the public now tends to be more vigilant in exposing corruption.

Belgica said the public may course complaints by e-mail and that the agency also responds to complaints posted on social media. He stressed, however. that such complaints will have to be more than anonymous rants. Complaints made by anonymous individuals should be substantiated by evidence attached to the post, he said.