CEBU CITY (PNA) - The cities of Cebu and Talisay are looking into the quicker release of business permits, following President Aquino's appeal for local government units (LGUs) to streamline the process.
Cebu City Councilor Joey Daluz, chairman of the City Council committee on budget and finance, said the Council already passed an ordinance streamlining the procedures in renewing business permits in 2008 yet.
The ordinance, which Daluz authored, sought to make it easier for business owners to renew their business permits.
"We will check if that ordinance is being implemented. In line with the call of the President, it is incumbent upon us to review our business permit application process. We have to simplify it because over the years, we have incorporated a lot of requirements. We should keep it to a minimum," said Daluz.
The recent addition to the requirements in applying for a business permit is the environmental sustainability action plan.
Through an ordinance approved last month, the city government required all business owners securing or renewing their business permits to submit the action plan as one of the requirements before a permit is issued.
Among other things, the document should state the nature of the business, the impact of the business's operations on the environment and the community, compliance with the laws and their measures in mitigating the impact on the environment and climate change.
During the public hearing on the measure, local business owners complained that the action plan could turn off business owners, since there are already a lot of requirements in getting the permits. In Talisay City, the local government adopted an "efficient" scheme in issuing or renewing business permits since last year, said City Administrator Richel Bacaltos.
Those applying for new business permits and those who want to renew theirs will no longer have to go from one City Hall office to another, said City Press Information Officer Arturo Bas.
The scheme was aimed at cutting red tape and projecting Talisay City as more investor-friendly.
Under Daluz's ordinance, streamlining the renewal of business permits, an applicant for permit renewal must secure a form at the Business Permit and Licensing Division.
The minimum requirement of a barangay (village) clearance with an official receipt of payment, sanitary permit, real property tax clearance, and lease contract should also be complied with.
