ARTA eyes 11 one-stop shops to accelerate investments

The government plans to roll out 11 one-stop shops across a wide range of high-value sectors, including the semiconductor industry, as it moves to ease barriers limiting the flow of investments. “Our target within the year is 11 one-stop shops,” Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Secretary Ernesto Perez told reporters, referring to the government’s efforts to streamline the permitting process for businesses. Perez said ARTA is working hand in hand with government agencies to develop guidelines that would make it much easier to set up businesses in the country. One of these one-stop shops would focus on the semiconductor sector, with implementation to be led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). He said the guidelines for the proposed program, which is still being developed, will likely be issued in October. ARTA has been receiving complaints from semiconductor companies about duplicative requirements, inconsistent processing timelines, and coordination issues in applying for government permits. The removal of these regulatory barriers is expected to improve the ease of doing business and streamline the entry of investments into the sector, whose products are the country’s top export commodity. Perez said other government agencies are currently working on one-stop shops to expedite processing for companies engaged in responsible mining, renewable energy (RE), and water resources, among others. Most recently, ARTA coordinated with other agencies to streamline and digitalize the permitting process for the acquisition, construction, and disposition of housing developments. Embodied in Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, the program aims to improve the ease of doing business in the housing sector by reducing regulatory burdens and minimizing delays. In support of these programs, Perez stressed the need for local government units (LGUs) to participate in ARTA’s efforts to cut red tape by implementing the electronic business one-stop shop (eBOSS) system. “The challenge is...