Photo by Dolly Mose

By Elhanan Pamesa

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan Tan on Wednesday (Aug. 16) reiterated his promise to make it easier for local and foreign traders to do business in the freeport.

Speaking at the media fellowship night organized by SBMA at the Lighthouse Marina and Resort Hotel, the first since he took over the reins of SBMA, Tan said he is committed to addressing crucial concerns raised by locators, residents, and employees especially those raised in his first town hall meeting upon assumption.

“Remember, that this was the first issue raised at the town hall meeting: the issuance of permits, which creates problems with locators. Before it takes about six months to one year,” said Tan in a mix of Filipino and English.

He added: “But now, we have already passed a board resolution regarding this.”

According to the executive, it would now take only two weeks o release the papers when applying for new or renewing business permit.

“And that’s what Im talking about. My goal here is not only to bolster investor confidence but also to optimize business procedures,” said Tan.

He added: “People think solving problems is easy, But we have to address the underlying causes of the problem, and that’s one of the root causes that we saw. By solving it, we are paving the way for a more efficient and investor-friendly atmosphere within the freeport.

” Tan said he recognized the challenges faced by many investors when obtaining, and locators when renewing, their permits, which has become a cumbersome process because offices issuing clearances are located in multiple locations.

In a related development, SBMA has begun establishing a public-private partnership (PPP) with a Malaysian company for the construction of a corporate center.

The corporate center will be an 18-story building featuring commercial spaces on the first three floors and offices on the upper floors. The goal is to provide a one-stop shop for various services.

“The corporate center will be located adjacent to Subic Bay Yacht Club. Renowned architect Royal Pineda is heading the project, which will house banks, SSS, GSIS, and other essential services and facilities making it a central hub for convenience and efficiency,” said Tan. FREEPORT INSIDER