Express Lane for Business Registration

LAOAG CITY – The Laoag city government’s one-stop shop for business registration has tremendously reduced the process of securing permits and cut down the cost of securing licenses from various agencies.

The one-stop shop gathered together various licensing offices under one roof and streamlined the business permit processing from seven to five steps.

City Treasurer Elena Asuncion said the fire department’s assessment of fees is incorporated in the Business Permit and Licensing Office while clearances from land taxes are no longer required.

The reformed registration, known as Business Permit License System (BPLS), was adopted by virtue of Administrative Order 10-07 mandating provincial governors, city and town mayors to speed up the processing of business permits and licenses.

Laoag Mayor Michael Fariñas immediately adopted the system and designated the city basketball court as the nerve center of the business permit one-stop shop activities.

“We will also implement pre- registration. Business owners are now allowed to secure clearances from local units and national government agencies (NGAs) prior to the renewal period,” Asuncion said.

The city government will consider putting up a permanent one-stop shop as part of its primary public service. At the moment, business owners can only avail of the express processing lane during the first week of every month.

An information campaign was conducted prior to the adoption of the BPLS to encourage people to go into business and avail of the speedy processing of business permits. (Cristina Arzadon – PIA Ilocos Norte)