The Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) conducted an in-house seminar on Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) and Efficient Delivery of Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 on November 8, 2019 in Pasig City.

A workshop on drafting ACPC’s Citizen’s Charter, led by Director Norman William Kraft, ensued after the EODB seminar. During the activity, each unit identified their key internal and external services, processing time and type of transaction which shall be submitted to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for compliance. 

Under RA 11032, all government agencies are required to set up their current and updated Citizen’s Charter. The Citizen’s Charter is an official document that communicates in simple terms the service standards of an agency on the frontline services being provided to its citizens. This shall serve a dual purpose as it shall be the basis for (1) establishing accountability and for (2) recognizing good performance to grant rewards and incentives.

“The Citizen’s Charter is an accountability tool which tells the public what to expect when transacting with government agencies,” said Ms. Pauline Karol Guiyab of the ARTA, who discussed the guidelines in the implementation of the Citizen’s Charter. “Basically, it tells the public which steps they need to undergo for a transaction, the fees they need to pay and the requirements they have to submit. Anything else asked of you aside from these, are unauthorized and unnecessary,” she added. As of December 2019, the ACPC has already updated and submitted its Citizen’s Charter to the ARTA.

Meanwhile, Atty. Marco Angelo Balleser, also from the ARTA, presented the salient points of the said law.  One of the most defining feature of said law is the 3-7-20 day prescribed processing time for all government transactions. To efficiently process applications, all government agencies and offices are now required to process simple transactions within three working days, complex transactions within seven working days, and highly technical applications involving activities which pose danger to public health, public safety, public morals, public policy within 20 working days, all upon submission of required documents. The maximum time prescribed may be extended only once for the same number of days.

RA 11032, which was signed into law on May 28, 2018 and made effective on June 17, 2018, effectively amends RA 9485, or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007. In a nutshell, EODB provides for provision on promoting regulatory practices, setting standards on prescribed processing time, establishment of government technology, and re-engineering government systems and procedures.