๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
PH improves govโt efficiency in 2024 World Competitiveness Report
17 July 2024 โ The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) welcomes the improved performance of the Philippines in government efficiency based on the 2024 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) published by the Switzerland-based International lnstitute for Management Development (lMD).
Government efficiency is one of the four main pillars where the various criteria used by the WCY to assess economies are anchored.
According to the 2024 WCY report, the Philippines’ ranking for government efficiency rose three notches from 52nd in 2023 to 49th this year.
The boost in ranking is attributed to the governmentโs response to the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to streamline and digitalize the delivery of state services.
The government has vowed to further push for strategic reforms and targeted policies to improve competitiveness and ease of doing business in the country.
Meanwhile, the 2024 WCY placed the Philippines 52nd out of 67 countries for the overall ranking. Though it also ranked 52nd in last yearโs report, the Philippines kept the spot despite the WCY having three more countries in the roster for this year.
It is important to note that the WCY ranking for 2024 is predominantly based on data from 2023. Consequently, the ranking has not yet fully captured the effects of the reforms implemented by the administration in 2023 aimed at improving the countryโs competitiveness.
ARTA recognizes the challenges identified in the report, particularly regarding sustaining the countryโs job-generating investments and building sustainable infrastructure. They will be addressed as the government ramps up its investment initiatives and infrastructure projects.
With the strict implementation of recent executive issuances such as Executive Order No. โ18 on โGreenlane for Strategic lnvestmentsโ and EO 59 on โStreamlining the Permitting Process for lnfrastructure Flagship Projects,โ the Philippines could notch higher in other pillars.
Aside from government efficiency, the other pillars are economic performance, business efficiency, and infrastructure. The Philippines retained its ranking at 40th for economic performance in this yearโs WCY. However, the country dropped in business efficiency (from 40th to 43rd) and infrastructure (from 48th to 61st).
The rollout of the Electronic Business One Stop Shops (eBOSS) and the Electronic Local Government Unit (eLGU) shall vastly improve the countryโs performance in start-up procedures, start-up days, and new business density.
lmprovements are expected next year with the full implementation of ARTAโs major Ease of Doing Business (EODB) programs, including the Philippine Business Regulations lnformation System (PBRIS), Anti-Red Tape Electronic Management lnformation System (ARTEMIS), Report Card Survey 2.0, Philippine Global Competitiveness Report Card (PGCRC) and the Philippine EODB Reporting System.
These initiatives, particularly the PGCRC will be pursued with continued collaboration with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and the Department of Trade and lndustry (DTI), and sustained engagement with our private sector stakeholders.
The call to replace red tape with a red carpet โ ensuring that government processes are more efficient and not burdensome โ is expected to create a climate that propels economic growth, boosts investments, and promotes ease of doing business.
-30-
ARTA joins the Post-SONA Discussion, highlighting efforts on ease of doing business
31 July 2024 โ To further amplify the accomplishments and action items of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.โs third State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), together with key government agencies gathered at the Hilton Hotel on 23 July 2024, for the first session of the 2024 Post-SONA Discussions, focusing on the critical issues of food security and economic development.
Now in its second year, the Post-SONA Discussions, organized by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), served as a platform for government officials to review the implementation of key policies and translate the priorities outlined in President Marcos Jr.โs third SONA.
In attendance were Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA) Frederick D. Go; ARTA Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Deputy Director General (DDG) for Legal Geneses R. Abot; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan; Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III; Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Fransisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.; Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph G. Recto; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Alfredo E. Pascual; Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Maria Christina Garcia Frasco; Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman; National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen; Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Odilon L. Pasaraba; and Philippine Space Agency (PHILSA) Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr.
In the discussion, each agency was asked to expound direct quotes from President Marcos Jr.โs SONA, which covered their respective agencyโs mandate.
For ARTA, OIC Abot was requested to provide insights on the SONA excerpt, โConscious efforts to improve the ease of doing business and of delivering government services, through digitalization, integration, and streamlining of processes, have produced their multiplier effects. Cost savings from operations have translated to higher revenues and more speedy transactions.”
In response, ARTA OIC Abot underscored the agencyโs commitment to streamlining the bureaucracy and creating a business-friendly environment through the agencyโs efforts to fully implement the electronic Business One-Stop Shops (eBOSS) on all local government units (LGUs) in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), DILG, and DTI.
In addition to the higher number of LGUs with a fully automated eBOSS, it was reported that the eBOSS-compliant LGUs have documented notable increases in their revenues and tax collections resulting in a higher budget for their local programs and services.
The OIC Abot cited that an overseas Filipino worker residing in Qatar have commended the governmentโs digitalization initiative after processing a business permit remotely with the local government unit (LGU) of Guinsiliban Municipality in Camiguin through its fully automated eBOSS.
โOur mandate is clear: to transform the way government services are delivered. We aim to achieve this through a โwhole-of-nation approach,โ fostering innovation and good regulatory practices. In simpler terms, we are here to cut the red tape and roll out the red carpet for all,โ OIC Abot said.
Furthermore, the ARTA OIC also elaborated, in response to the questions from the media partners present in the discussion, the agencyโs other streamlining and digitalization initiatives, including the Philippine Business Regulations Information System (PBRIS) which stores all proposed and existing regulations made available in public, along with the Anti-Red Tape Electronic Management Information System (ARTEMIS) which, on the other hand, serves as a database for all covered government officesโ Citizen Charters to provide a single platform for all government services, processes, and fees.
The discussion was sealed with a renewed focus on implementing the President’s directives as expounded by the key government agencies in the forum. ARTA’s progress in digitalizing government services was highlighted as a crucial step towards improving the ease of doing business, together with a whole-of-nation collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders.
The key government officials in attendance expressed optimism that these collective efforts will significantly contribute to economic growth and development and the realization of a “Bagong Pilipinas.”
โThe road ahead may not be easy, but with our strong spirit of collaboration, we will turn President Marcos Jr.’s directives into tangible results. Let us all be catalysts for change and be part of the solution. Let us prove to the world that in the Philippines there is Ease of Doing Business,โ OIC Abot said in his closing statement.
-30-
ARTA and BARMM strengthen collaboration through MOU for Ease of Doing Business
XX August 2024โIn compliance with Republic Act (RA) 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Law, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) led by Secretary Ernesto V. Perez signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), headed by Minister Sha Elijah B Dumama-Alba on 02 August 2024 at the ARTA Central Office in Quezon City.
The MOU signing was prompted by MILGโs courtesy visit and exploratory meeting with the Agency last 06 February 2024 to express their interest in a partnership on ARTAโs initiatives. In particular, MILG aimed for ARTAโs assistance in the conduct of the Whole-of-Government (WOG) reengineering and process streamlining of government services funded under the Localizing e-Governance for Accelerated Provision of Services (LeAPS) Program, MILGโs partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Training for select agencies of MILG, and in the identification of potential investment areas for possible discussion or collaboration with foreign chamber of commerce such as, but not limited to, mining, energy, and water, among others.
โIt has been my priority to reach out to our brothers and sisters in the BARMM Region, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, in order to share whatever knowledge and expertise that we have gained in the process of implementing Republic Act 11032,โ Secretary Perez recalled during his welcoming message.
The newly signed MOU determines MILG and ARTAโs roles and responsibilities in providing guidance in the recommendation of potential investment areas on the possible collaboration with foreign chambers of commerce, facilitating the orientation on RA No. 11032, conducting trainings and capacity-building activities, and in designating a single point of contact (SPOC) that must work closely with each other on the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this collaboration, among others.
In a special message delivered by Minister Dumama-Alba, she emphasized that her advocacy for service delivery is an advocacy that has not been lost. โWe believe that by simplifying procedures, we can make it easier for our citizens to access the services they need. Enhancing operational efficiency is another critical objective of this collaboration. By identifying the bottlenecks and implementing best practices, as mentioned by [the] Director earlier, we can provide the quality and responsiveness of our public services,โ Minister Dumama-Alba said.
Additionally UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Edwine Carrie, delivered a special message where he mentioned that โThis MOU is the manifestation of the will and engagement of both MILG and ARTA to very high transparency standards. It is very heartening for UNDP to see two government entities coming together to tackle corruption, [and] to increase government services efficiency. So we hope as UNDP to see, of course, [the] implementation of this MOU.โ
The MOU signing is deemed a big step towards realizing the dream of having one country, one people. Involving and reaching out to BARMM is another significant stride to streamlining government services and effectively fighting red tape and corruption in the country to achieve a progressive and citizen-centric Bagong Pilipinas.