Appoint anti-red tape czar now, Zubiri asks Duterte

Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint an Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) czar.

Zubiri explained that the Ease of Doing Business Law (EODB) was crafted supposedly to eliminate “bureaucratic bottlenecks and red tape that hamper transactions between businesses and the government.”

“Its title has business in it, but, we want ordinary Filipinos, not just big business, to get the full benefits of the law,” said Zubiri, who sponsored the measure at the Senate plenary.

“The essence of the law is to raise the bar for all government agencies. We’re not asking for lightning speed, but we deserve better than business-as-usual.”

“It’s almost four months since the passage of the law, yet, no one is wielding the whip. We needed an Anti-Red Tape czar, yesterday,” the senator added.

Zubiri said the ARTA and the czar would be the ones to address complaints on red tape and “pangongotong” by government agencies both local and national.

“The Czar is mandated to immediately investigate these accusations of violation of this Law. The Czar is also mandated to file the necessary cases with the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission on the violators of the Anti-red tape law,” he pointed out.

“Alam naman natin na takot ang mga negosyante magsumbong at mag file ng kaso sa mga government agencies kaya ‘yan na ang trabaho ng Anti-Red Tape Czar,” he also said.

Zubiri said they crafted the law hoping that small entrepreneurs, who generate more than 80% of business activities and employing millions, would benefit from it.

“If business moves fast because of the EODB law, we can drive our anti-poverty agenda faster,” he said.

“As of now, despite our high-quality produce, hardworking labor and innovation masters, we continue to be laggards as no one cracks the whip on foot dragging agencies. We need a man at the helm,” he stressed.

Zubiri pointed out that under the law, prescribed processing times for transactions should be three to five working days for simple transactions, and seven to 10 working days for complex ones, “with a ceiling of twenty working days for highly technical applications.” Christia Marie Ramos, INQUIRER.net    /kga