MANILA – Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) director general Jeremiah Belgica expects higher scores for the country in the upcoming 2021 Ease of Doing Business (EODB) report of the World Bank.
In a statement Monday, Belgica said efforts to streamline through digitizing processes and fast-tracking government processes will drive the country’s score up in this year’s EODB report.
“This year, we are highly confident that our reforms in four particular Doing Business Indicators namely Trading Across Borders, Protecting Minority Investors, Enforcing Contracts, and Dealing with Construction Permits will be recognized,” he said.
Belgica cited recent developments in Quezon City that will help in improving the country’s EODB score.
These include automation of business permits and construction permits issuance, digitization of land titles, reduction of cost and number of days for the filing and service, and trial and judgment phase on breach of contractual obligations of the procedure for small claims cases before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Courts.
Quezon City is the country’s benchmark for the EODB report as the city has the highest number of business registrations nationwide.
“Despite this, we worry that not all our efforts for Starting a Business, Dealing with Construction Permits, Registering Property, and Enforcing Contracts will be acknowledged as we have seen some Doing Business survey methodology concerns that need to be further assessed and improved,” Belgica said.
He said the Philippines has appealed anew to the World Bank to revisit and amend its methodology for EODB survey to ensure selection of appropriate respondents.
In the Doing Business 2020 Report, the Philippines ranked 95 out of 190 economies, with a score of 62.8. (PNA)
