Anti-red tape boosts Oro economy

TRADE and Commerce and on Ways and Means committees chair City Councilor George Goking said the forum on Monday on Ease of Doing Business or the Republic Act No. 11032 held in the city is beneficial to the city government and the taxpayers.

Led by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta), Goking said RA No. 11032 was even passed to combat red tape and promote transparency and efficiency in the delivery of government services.

“For the efficient delivery of government services to the people of Cagayan De Oro, this RA 11032 gives teeth to red tape law,” said Goking.

The 19th City Council according to Goking approved the ordinance in the last month of 2019 and then the Covid-19 pandemic came.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Goking, the ordinance’s principal author said the City Hall needs to review its ease of doing business (EODB) ordinance to unburden the city’s businesses and investors alike.

In his message on behalf of the city mayor Rolando Uy during the forum, with RA No. 11032 now in full force and effect, its more prominent features deserve to be highlighted.

Goking disclosed this during the forum held at the Cronin Hall of the St. Augustine Cathedral Monday afternoon.

The forum is sponsored by the Anti-Red Tape Authority in partnership with Cagayan de Oro City Hall, the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc., Misamis Oriental Filipino-Chamber of Commerce Inc. and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

“I don’t think the ordinance is effective now so I’m proposing to our city government that we review this ordinance (in light of what happened) in the past two years,” said Goking adding that he is now asking all the city’s business chambers for their support.

Goking reiterated that he can propose to the mayor and the 20th City Council to review this ordinance for better provisions with the help of the business chambers especially to reduce red tape in our processing of requirements.

Earlier, Mayor Uy, in his 100 days report to the City Hall bureaucracy, local elected officials, and national government agency directors, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said his administration is committed to providing financial relief to both taxpayers and investors to jumpstart the city’s economy.

Uy also presented his administration’s economic relief package to the 20th City Council for approval.

The Mayor also called on the 20th City Council to reduce the requirements for the processing of business requirements for investors.

In light of Mayor Uy’s appeal, Goking said the EODB should be amended to entice more investors to set up shop in the city.

During the seminar, also City Hall representatives showed seminar participants their efforts to streamline their processing of business requirements.

Through the amendments to the EODB ordinance plus the Klarex administration’s economic relief package, Goking is optimistic that this will result in better revenues for the city.

“We want to give the best to our business community (whose payment of taxes is the lifeblood of the city), ” Goking said.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the keynote speaker, Arta officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Ernesto Perez, Arta northern Mindanao lawyer Lord Anthony Pusod, said the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, amending the Arta by strengthening it.

The Law, RA 11032 aims to protect the people and businesses as well as foreign direct investors, to keep the country growing.

Pusod oriented the business community about Arta’s function during the forum in partnership with the city government, the CDO and Misamis Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Pusod said their agency is tasked to monitor the implementation of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act among local governments across the country.

To improve the business competitiveness of the country, Pusod urged businesses and individuals to report any violations of the Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Law.

Pusod also assured during the forum that the identities of the complainants will be made confidential and that a fast response on their side will be expected.

“Regardless of wherever it comes from, whatever province it is, we always act on any complaint within 24 hours from the receipt of the complaint,” according to Pusod.

The law authored by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 with the Cagayan de Oro ordinance authored by Councilor Goking and former councilor Edna Dahino. (With reports from Stephen Capillas of the City Information Office)