San Pedro City, Laguna is now a step closer in achieving its goal of being a “smART City” through the use of digital technologies for ease of doing business.
Last Friday, November 10, the city government of San Pedro signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to streamline its business registration services.
San Pedro City Administrator Atty. Henry Salazar, representing Mayor Art Mercado, and DTI officials led by Secretary Alfredo Pascual signed the MOA at a ceremony held at the DTI headquarters in Makati City.
Under the MOA, the LGU will partner with the DTI for a "systems integration" between the national agency's DTI Business Name Registration System (BNRS) and the city government of San Pedro's Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS).
Local officials told OpinYon Laguna that this new system will help eliminate the hassle of having to register and renew local business establishments at the local and national level.
They said, "Since integrated na ang systems, madali na po ang coordination between the LGU and the DTI for verification ng existing businesses.” They also assured that the new system will do away with fake DTI certificates.
It was noted that the new systems integration is a step forward in the national government's aim of integrating the business registration systems of LGUs with national government system, with the end goal of developing a "National Business Portal."
Business One-stop Shop
While the city government has yet to announce when the systems integration program with the DTI will be implemented, city officials are now also implementing other improvements to their current system in time for the resumption of its Business One-stop Shop (BOSS) next year.
Among the planned innovations for next year's BOSS include online registration and payments, the creation of electronic permits and receipts, and the creation of business permit kiosks and a "citizen's portal" that will serve as an "electronic BOSS" where business owners can conduct all their payment and transaction needs.
It should be remembered that last May, the city government of San Pedro also entered into an agreement with digital payment systems provider Maya Philippines, for the future implementation of online payments and transactions.
“Ang mga programa pong ito ay parte lamang ng inisyatibo ni Mayor Art Mercado upang ma-digitize ang ating government services sa ilalim ng ating ‘smART City’ vision,” Jhe-Rico Sam Colina, head of the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), said.
PHOTO CAPTION:
San Pedro City, Laguna Administrator Atty. Henry Salazar (right) shakes hands with Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, sealing the agreement made between the two government entities last November 10 to integrate their business registration systems. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAN PEDRO CITY PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND INFORMATION OFFICE
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