Lanao Norte, ARTA streamline business permitting
LANAO DEL NORTE — The provincial government of Lanao del Norte and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) formalized a partnership recently to establish a Provincial One-Stop Shop (POSS) aimed at streamlining government services and improving business permitting.
Lanao del Norte Gov. Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo signed a memorandum of agreement with ARTA director general Ernesto V. Perez during a ceremony at the MCC Hotel Function Hall in Tubod under the theme “Connect. Streamline. Partner. Transform: Advancing Ease of Doing Business Together.”
Under the agreement, the provincial government will allocate office space at the Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza Provincial Government Center to host an ARTA satellite office, which will serve as the operational hub for the one-stop shop.
In turn, ARTA will deploy personnel to monitor frontline services, conduct inspections, resolve public complaints, and coordinate across participating agencies.
The initiative addresses findings from the BEST NEHEMIA Project — a joint study conducted by the Asian Development Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers — which identified the absence of a single point of contact at the local level as a primary bottleneck delaying licenses, permits and regulatory approvals.
“With the POSS, investors and residents will no longer need to go from one office to another for basic transactions. Services will be harmonized, workflows streamlined, and processing times significantly reduced,” Dimaporo said.
Perez stressed that the partnership advances compliance with Republic Act 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.
“This is not just about putting up a desk. It is about institutionalizing a culture of efficiency, transparency, and accountability in every transaction the government makes with its people,” Perez said.
The satellite office will also monitor anti-red tape standards across provincial offices, expedite grievance resolutions, and assist local government units in digitizing regulatory services.
The signing was witnessed by Dr. Jutchel L. Nayra, ARTA-Northern Mindanao regional chief, and Lyndon G. Calica, Lanao del Norte provincial administrator.
With the establishment of the facility, Lanao del Norte becomes among the first provinces in Northern Mindanao to host a dedicated ARTA satellite office, a model the agency intends to replicate in other regions nationwide.