Doing business in Nabunturan made easy

NABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley, July 9 – Barely a year after its implementation of the Business Permit Licensing System (BPLS) Reforms Upscaling Program, the local government of Nabunturan in Compostela Valley has garnered positive feedbacks especially from clients and constituents as well as recognition and awards. 

BPLS Reforms Upscaling Program is joint effort by DTI and DILG aimed in streamlining the process of getting business permit or license issued by Local Government Units every year. 

The process of applying for a business permit has been an annual struggle for any business only willing to legitimize and pay the appropriate local taxes.

Normally, application for renewal or for new business takes at least two days of circling around LGU offices before a business permit will be issued. 

Adding burden to registrants are some regulating agencies of the national government such as BIR, BFP and PNP who ride-on during the application process of the LGU to collect taxes. 

Businesses which are the main source of local revenues were ironically being subjected of grueling bureaucratic procedure. 

This was said to be the primary reason for enterprises to remain in the underground economy and evade tax duties.

The Department of Trade Industry and the Department of Interior and Local Government thus issued joint department administrative orders and joint memorandum orders to facilitate the reforms in the Business Permit and Licensing process at par, if not better, with the national standards.

On June 15–16, 2011, the BPLs Re-Orientation Briefing and Streamlining Workshop was conducted by DTI and DILG at the Nabunturan Municipal Hall.

It was participated by the heads of offices involved in the business permit application process such the Mayor’s office, Treasurer’s Office, Planning Office, Health Office, Engineering Office and others, including national office such as PNP, BIR and Bureau of Fire. 

The business sector, as well as the Sangguniang Bayan members, was also present and actively participated discussions during the workshop.

It was the participants themselves who reviewed and suggested the improvements to the current process of applying business permit in Nabunturan. 

Nabunturan Mayor Romeo Clarin gave his commitment and support to the proposed streamlining of business permit application process, after being presented with the workshop output.

The Sangguniang Bayan responded with the passage of a resolution adopting the BPLS reforms 5 days immediately after the said workshop.

The BPLS workshop in Nabunturan steamlined the application process from an almost 4 hours to only 1 hour and from the number of steps of 12 steps to only 4 steps.

It also eliminated from the application process the regulatory national agencies who have been tapping the LGU as their collecting agent. (DTI-Comval)