By Joanna Rose Aglibot
The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) welcomed the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) review of its business registration process.
In a phone interview on Friday, Benj Antonio, President of SBFCC, said that the move to simplify the business registration and compliance processes will definitely be welcome by existing locators, as well as help ensure that new locators will enjoy relatively easier new registration processes.
On Wednesday, Antonio and other directors from the SBFCC had a meeting with SBMA officials to talk about the ongoing streamlining of the business process and requirements, the cost of doing business, and the ongoing tourist development plan inside this free port.
(Photo courtesy of SBFCC)
“The existing business processes and requirements inside this free port may have been the result of dealing with larger locators in the past, those with the resources to comply with the many and seemingly complex requirements of the agency. Most companies, however, may find these too cumbersome,” said Antonio.
“This is in line with the National Government’s initiative to improve the Ease of Doing Business and make the Freeport an attractive investment destination attractive once more, for businesses of all sizes,” he added.
In a separate interview, Peter Tumanda, one of the board of directors of SBFCC said that SBMA Chairman and Administrator Jonathan Tan vows to reduce the business renewal process to two weeks.
“[dati] one month to six months, minsan one year but now they are saying that it will be finished by two weeks. Sinasabi nga namin sa manifesto namin pag renewal ka dapat one day lang just like LGU (Local Government Unit) pero accepted na namin ang two weeks, pag nagawa nila yan sasaludo kami and I think it’s doable, sinasabi nga namin one day is doable nagagawa ng manila eh, kasi pag renewal ka naman it’s like working sa city hall, renewal ka wala ka papalitan bakit kailangan mo magtagal?” asked Tumanda.
(before, one month to six months, sometimes one year but now they are saying that it will be finished in two weeks. We do say in our manifesto that when you renew you should only do it one day just like LGU (Local Government Unit) but we have accepted two weeks if they do that we will salute them and I think it’s doable, we do say one day is doable, Manila can do it, because when you renew it’s like working at city hall, you renew, nothing will be replaced why do you have to wait)
According to Tumanda, one of the reasons why the renewal process took so long is that they combine all their departments together “So kung 18 departments yan, 18 departments ang maguusap-usap, pag may isa lang dun na may problema ka, hindi nalalakad yung papel mo babalik ka nanaman” (so if it’s 18 departments, those 18 departments will talk, if there’s only one there that you have a problem with, they will not process your paper, and you’ll come back again)
That’s the advantage of having a chairman that is forward-looking. A simple action that speaks a lot for a leader. We’re hopeful, ‘yun lang two weeks sinabi niya gagawin niya, two weeks, iba yun (He said he would do it for two weeks, two weeks, that’s different.), Tumanda added.
After his appointment as the new head of SBMA, Tan said that he is prioritizing further streamlining the processing of business permits of investors to ensure ease of doing business at the free port.
This is in compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to attract more foreign investors and create more jobs at the Subic Bay Freeport zone. FREEPORT INSIDER
