TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will complete the public consultations needed for drafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 within two weeks.
After the public consultation in provinces on Oct. 2, the DTI will consolidate all recommendations from regions, consult with locators, study legal considerations, present the draft with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and promulgate the IRR by Oct. 22.
“The timeline is very tight since President Rodrigo Duterte really wants to streamline the process of getting business permit and other government transactions. We are optimistic of finalizing the IRR within the timeline,” said Mary Lou Gesilva, director of DTI competitiveness bureau during the consultation here Tuesday.
The trade department kicked off the public consultation on Sept. 3 in Tuguegarao City for Region 2 and Cagayan de Oro City for Region 10. The activity has already gathered recommendations from 10 regions.
Six more regions will be covered by consultations in the next two weeks, according to Gesilva. “These regional consultations aim at informing both public and private sectors about the new law and solicit comments on the draft IRR.”
DTI Eastern Visayas Regional Director Cynthia Nierras said the implementation of the law is a big help in the region where it takes more than a months to secure a business permit in some areas.
“The President is really very serious to help would be businessmen to register and get necessary documents that they would need to start a business. It is not only intended for foreign and big businesses, but also for small businesses,” Nierras explained.
President Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act on May 28, 2018 and it took effect on June 17. The DTI has until Oct. 22 to release the IRR as prescribed by the law.
The measure aims to streamline issuances of licenses, clearances and permits to business entities and is banked on to improve the country’s ease of doing business ranking.
The country slipped to 113th among 190 economies from 99th in the World Bank Doing Business 2018 report, according to DTI. (Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
