The Anti-Red Tape Authority has opened in Cebu City a regional office which aims to assist businesses on complaints of government red tape or bureaucracy.

ARTA director general Secretary Ernesto V. Perez believes that opening the regional office will encourage more businesses to open, thus creating more jobs and boosting the local economy.

“When people know that it is easier to deal business, the economy will grow even better,” said Perez, during the inauguration of the new office located at the National Food Authority compound in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City.

Its jurisdiction will cover Central and Eastern Visayas regions.

Perez also vowed a seamless government service and simplified way of starting a business across Central and Eastern Visayas regions as the new field office will monitor how well the Central and Eastern Visayas government entities are adhering to the regulations for carrying out both business and non-business activities by putting the Ease of Doing Business Law into practice.

One of the key efforts of the law is that each local government unit should carry out is the Electronic Business One-Stop Shop or e-BOSS which digitalizes business permitting and licensing systems, allowing LGUs to issue tax bills, order of payments, permits, licenses and clearances and accept applications and payments online.

“Once the LGUs are able to set up and operationalize, an end-to-end process from the filing of application, submission of requirements, the processing, the payment, and printing of mayor’s permit should be done online,” Perez said.