70 more local government units expected to automate permit systems

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it hopes to enroll 70 more  LGUs (local government units) in its electronic business one-stop shop (eBOSS) system this year. 

“Our conservative target is about 70 additional LGUs… it can be more depending on how fast we can be in revising the joint memorandum circular (JMC),” ARTA Director General Ernesto V. Perez told reporters last week.

To date, 127 LGUs have fully automated their registration processes, while about 700 are “partially automated.”

The agency is targeting all 1,642 LGUs to be fully eBoss compliant by 2028.

In the National Capital Region, all LGUs except Pateros City are fully compliant, Mr. Perez said.

ARTA is also looking to resolve issues on integrating the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) system in eBOSS, Mr. Perez noted.

ARTA signed a JMC with the departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Trade and Industry (DTI), which sets guidelines on streamlining LGU systems for business and non-business-related services.

“Hopefully, we can revise the JMC among DILG, DICT, ARTA, and DTI to address, particularly, the issue of the BFP,” he said.

“We have (BFP’s) commitment; it’s just a matter of implementing it,” Mr. Perez said, noting that the agency aims to resolve the issues by June 30.

Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act requires all LGUs to set up an eBOSS.

An eBOSS is an online portal that enables the end-to-end processing of government services, such as the application and issuance of local business licenses, clearances, and online payments.

JMC No. 1, Series of 2021 considers LGUs “fully compliant” if they adopt the core eBOSS features.

These include the electronic submission of applications; online uploading of documents, digital payment systems; and issuance of electronic tax bill or tax order of payment.

“Once this issue is properly addressed, we’ll have a sharp increase in the number of LGUs that are compliant withe eBOSS,” Mr. Perez said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz