The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) held on Thursday, Oct. 10, the pilot-launch of the Central Business Portal (CBP).
The CBP is an online platform aimed at providing faster and more convenient way of applying for business registrations, as well as securing and submitting business requirements. It is also designed to provide links to online registration services of various national government agencies.
The website aims to eliminate bureaucratic red-tape and streamline business registration processes by next year, according to the DICT. It is expected to reduce, if not totally eradicate, long queues for physical transactions as the applications are done online and will be completed in five days.
“We want to promote transparency and uphold the ease of doing business. With the CBP, we are ensuring the processing period of business registration-related transactions are shortened,” said DICT secretary Gregorio Honasan II.
Jeremiah Belgica, director-general of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), is confident the CBP will suppress corruption in business registration.
“Wala nang human intervention. Every signature, every stop that you need to talk to a government employee is always an opportunity for corruption. Kaya itong streamlining natin na ginagawa, ang resulta ay pagkawala ng stress at pila pero kawalan din ng mga fixer, kawalan ng alternative income sa mga tao ng gobyerno,” Belgica said.
Honasan added that the DICT is also strengthening its efforts in improving Internet connectivity to effectively and efficiently roll out the CBP.
“Ang pupuntiryahin talaga natin dito ay iyong bilis ng connectivity. Iyon ang marching order ng presidente. Connect everybody to everybody, kaya nga may business portal tayo. Government to the citizens and everybody to each other,” he said.
The CBP, which will be fully operational by February 14 next year, covers business transactions under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but is envisioned to also cover the Department of Trade and Industry and even transactions under the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Republic Act 11302 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 mandates the DICT as the lead agency responsible in establishing, operating, and maintaining the CBP.
