MANILA – The country’s anti-red tape body on Friday said it ordered Local Government Units (LGUs) to remove locational clearance as a requirement in business permits for commercial establishments inside malls and Central Business District (CBD) to “simplify and expedite” the process.
Under the Memorandum Circular 2020-01 dated Jan. 8, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) ordered LGUs to exempt businesses located inside malls and CBDs from submitting location clearance and zoning permit when renewing and applying business permits, it said in a statement.
The order was issued “to further
simplify and expedite the processing, approval of initial and/or renewal of
business permits for commercial establishments located in shopping malls and
central business districts, thereby reducing the unnecessary regulatory burden
to applicants,” ARTA said.
Consultations were made with top mall representatives and other stakeholders
with experiences in business permit processing before the issuance of the
order, ARTA said.
ARTA said it would continue monitoring the LGUs to ensure compliance to the ease of doing business law. (ABS-CBN News)
