BAGUIO CITY — The public wants services accessible in both virtual and physical realities – the Internet, no-noon break, and entertaining walk-in clients, who come by 5 p.m. in service-oriented government offices.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) found this out in a recent consultation it conducted with various sectors in the Cordillera region for the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the recently signed Anti-Red Tape Law or the “Act promoting ease of doing business and efficient delivery of government services.”
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday, DTI-Cordillera Regional Director Myrna Pablo said the public apparently supports the planned entry of additional players to provide Internet connection even in far-flung communities across the country.
“The Department of Information and Communications Technology is still working on it. We are living in a digital era. Everything is being done online,” she said.
“In DTI, the Philippine Business Registry has been in existence for five years or more. All regulatory agencies tasked to provide business permits or licenses should be linked in one system,” Pablo cited.
She said an online registration system makes life easy for entrepreneurs, who need to get various government permits to start a business or renew their business permits.
It also makes Philippine businesses more globally competitive, she added.
Pablo said stakeholders in the Cordillera have also expressed their desire for a “no-noon break policy,” which is not being implemented in some government offices.
Pablo noted that some clients from some places travel far to get to the government offices just to wait for the employees to first take their lunch.
“Our mandate is to provide quality and fast services regardless of the time. If there is a need for the staff to undergo shifting, then so be it,” she added.
She stressed that the public must be well attended to and given “good and quality service,” and not be asked to “just come back.”
Pablo added that in the DTI’s recent public consultation on the Anti-Red Tape Act, issues were also raised about some government offices refusing to accept transactions when it is nearing 5 p.m., the usual closing time for government offices.
“If the clients come in at 4:45 p.m., they should be accommodated. Even if they arrive at exactly 5 p.m., they should still be accommodated. You should not ask them to leave and come back the following day. They should never wait for us, especially if they live far from where the government agency is located,” she pointed out.
Pablo added that government offices must also take note of the new law’s provision that the transacting public must be immediately given a “shopping list,” to inform them of the requirements needed to complete a certain transaction.
From the onset, President Rodrigo Duterte wanted the business climate in the country to be conducive to both local and foreign investors by offering ease in doing business and eliminating graft and corruption as manifested by bureaucratic red tape. **Pamela Mariz Geminiano/ PNA
