MANILA— Several government agencies on Tuesday signed a joint memorandum circular to establish "concrete measures" in streamlining the process for getting business permits, in line with the Ease of Doing Business law.

The joint memorandum circular will facilitate the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Government Efficiency Act of 2018, also known as the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Act, the DTI said in a statement.

In line with the circular, the DTI said it was creating the electronic Business One Stop Shop (or eBOSS), the government's re-engineered business permitting process, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the virtual signing ceremony.

Lopez said the COVID-19 pandemic has been an opportunity to "hasten" automation and service delivery to the people.

"The JMC will give us the boost to streamline and automate the business permitting process in the country to enable entrepreneurs to start and operate their businesses. This, in turn, will empower our people through more jobs and employment, which would get us back on the road to post-pandemic recovery," Lopez said.

"Ang standards na ito sa business registration ay babawas ng unnecessary, duplicative processes at documentary requirements, at tutulong na mapababa ang cost of doing business—habang sumusuporta sa muling pagbangon ng ating ekonomiya," he added.

(The standard will remove unnecessary, duplicative processes and documentary requirements, and will help lower the cost of doing business while supporting economic recovery)

Representatives from the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) were also present during the virtual signing event.

Lopez said the law would highlight how government technology would "fast-track" the elimination of red tape, make government services accessible via smart phones or computers, and reduce corruption.

"Streamlining and automation is the only way forward," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business law in 2018. Implementing rules were approved in 2019.

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