Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Hassle-free business registration, permitting and licensing now in Cebu

Cebu, Philippines (30 October) -- Businessmen in Central Visayas will now experience a 'hassle-free' business registration, permitting and licensing system in Cebu City as the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (NERBAC) has set up its one-stop-shop office at the ground floor of LDM Bldg., Lapulapu St., Cebu City.

In a press release from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the region, the setting up of a NERBAC is mandated through RA 7470 with the DTI as the lead implementing agency.

Recently, the DTI-7, the Cebu City Government and the four mandatory agencies that are involved in business registration, permitting and licensing (BIR, SSS, PhilHealth & Pag-IBIG) have finally made a "break though" by setting up their respective desks at the NERBAC-7.

According to Minerva Yap the DTI-NERBAC 7 manager, new applicants can now file their DTI Business Name Registration simultaneously with Cebu City's Application for Business Permit (new applications only), SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and BIR Registration at the DTI - NERBAC 7.

This positive development was the result of a series of seminars, workshops and meeting among the members of NERBAC-7 governing board and the Cebu City Government, Yap said.

She added that applicants for business permits and licenses are now spared from the hassles of going from one office to another to have their businesses acquire legal entities saving them much needed time and resources.

Yap further said that the NERBAC-7 is a one-stop-shop for a harmonized and streamlined Business Permitting and Licensing System (BPLS) in Cebu City and this would not have been possible without the full support of its governing board, especially the mandatory agencies; BIR, SSS, PhilHealth, Pab-ibig and the Cebu City Government.

These same agencies conduct free pre-BPLS seminar on Wednesdays at 1:00-5:00 pm, except holidays at its conference room. Participants are given orientation and briefing on the requirements, procedures and penalties concerning business registration, permitting and licensing. They are also given additional ideas such as social responsibilities of business entities, Yap said.

The municipalities of Consolacion and Barili in Cebu are also being considered for pilot implementation of the harmonized and streamlined BPLS with the help of the GTZ, a German company that continuously provides financial assistance to the NERBAC's activities.

With the successful implementation of the BPLS in Cebu City, replicating the same in the other local government units in the provinces of Central Visayas will be easy as "we already have a model," Yap concluded. (PIA-Cebu/MBCN)

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