DTI, e-payment providers partner to ease biz registrations

FILE: E-PAYMENT. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez (center) says providing the public with the e-payments option is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate on the ease of doing business, during the signing of memorandum of agreement among the DTI, Landbank, Bureau of the Treasury, PayMaya and GCash on Friday (Sept. 27, 2019). Lopez said the DTI is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in creating a single system that could fast-track business processes. (PNA photo by Cristina Arayata)

MANILA — Now it‘s easier and more convenient for Filipinos to register and renew business names as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) partners with digital payment service providers.

“(Now), there is no need (for the entrepreneurs) to take a leave of absence, or to commute just to pay for business transactions,” said national treasurer Rosalia De Leon at the signing of memorandum of agreement among DTI, partners, Landbank and the Bureau of the Treasury on Friday.

The move, she said, is crucial as it reduces the risks related to cash transactions.

“For the longest time, the government has not adapted with the e-payments. We have long relied with cash payments,” said De Leon, adding that the government needs to keep abreast with financial technology to provide effective public service.

As such, the DTI has tapped e-payments service providers, PayMaya and GCash for the “BNRS Next Gen” (Business Name Registration System Next Generation), an online platform where the public could register or renew business names, wherever they are. This can be accessed at https://bnrs.dti.gov.ph/.

“They would no longer need to go to business centers. They could just use this platform,” the national treasurer said.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez noted that the agency is trying to convert everything to an e-payment scheme.

“This is aligned with President Duterte’s mandate on the ease of doing business. The advantage of e-payments is that it is stronger and a more stable system,” he said.

Lopez said the DTI is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in creating a single system that could fast-track business processes.

In this system, users would no longer need to retype pertinent details required by various government agencies, such as the DTI, and Social Security System (SSS).

“We target to make everything digitized this year,” he said

With the BNRS, for instance, anyone could make transactions 24/7, using their mobile phones.

Lopez said many people own mobile phones, thus, the BNRS would make it safer and easier for the public to do business transactions online.

Streamlining cash payments in the government, he said, is a way to provide better public service since the government provides more options for public convenience.

Meanwhile, one of the BNRS’ partners, PayMaya, is also working on partnerships with government offices with regard to offering the e-payment option in transactions.

“We are talking to around 15 agencies, including local government units of Manila and Quezon City, regarding this,” PayMaya chief executive officer Orlando Vea said.

These agencies include the SSS and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, he said.

Landbank, which has an e-payment platform called “Link.BizPortal” that allows customers to pay products and services via the Internet, is also a partner in the BNRS.

Both representatives from PayMaya and GCash, meanwhile, expressed gladness to be a partner of the government.