Arta to gov’t agencies: Late replies to business queries deemed unlawful

Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)

MANILA, Philippines — All government agencies must respond to simple business requests and applications within three days, otherwise, it violates the law, said Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) Director General Ernesto V. Perez on Wednesday.

Such is in line with Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

“Alam po ba ninyo na under the Ease of Doing Business Law, dapat po they must respond within three days – kapag simple request lang; at kapag hindi po sila nag-respond, that is already a violation of the Ease of Doing Business Law,” said Perez in the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

(You know, under the Ease of Doing Business Law, they must respond within three days if it is just a simple request, and if they do not answer, that is already a violation of the Ease of Doing Business Law.)

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According to the law itself, simple transactions are those that only require ministerial actions from the officer or employee. Meanwhile, complex requests should be made within seven working days.

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“For applications or requests involving activities which pose a danger to public health, public safety, public morals, public policy, and highly technical application, the prescribed processing time shall in no case be longer than twenty working days or as determined by the government agency or instrumentality concerned, whichever is shorter,” stated the law.

JPV/abc