TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Frontline offices of the city government, including the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Health Services Office (CHSO), underwent the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Compliance Audit on Thursday, Nov. 16.
The audit is being piloted in select local government units (LGUs) including Tabuk City to evaluate their compliance with Republic Act 11032 or the EODB Law since its enactment five years ago.
Specifically, the audit aims to assess the awareness of LGUs on the various requirements of the law, validate their compliance report, validate if they need further technical assistance, and validate the effectiveness of the assessment tool in capturing the real scenario on the ground.
The regional validation team composed of the DILG-CAR, ARTA Northern Luzon, DICT-CAR, and DILG-Kalinga conducted the audit through interviews and onsite inspection of the city government’s Business One Stop Shop and the frontline offices.
In their initial findings, the validation team noted positive observations of the BPLO’s automated business permit and licensing system, complimenting the tool’s online payment options, use of e-signature for the issuance of business permits, and other features that contribute to easing the process for applicants.
The team also gave positive feedback on the implementation of the Citizen’s Charter and noted the departmentalization of the BPLO and the provision of tax amnesty for new businesses, among others, as best practices that other LGUs could emulate from Tabuk.
In the same findings, the team cited some bottlenecks and issues that need to be addressed to further improve compliance with EODB requirements. The full and official results of the audit and corresponding recommendations will be furnished to the City in the form of a memorandum, according to the validation team.
On behalf of Acting City Mayor Dick Bal-o, Mr. King Gamatero thanked the evaluators for their assessment and assured them of the City Anti-Red Tape Team’s commitment to continue to work together to improve services for its constituents.
