ARTA pushes implementation of anti-red tape committee

FILE: ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica (PNA Photo)

MANILA – In line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to cut red tape, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is pushing for the implementation of its Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-07 or the guidelines on the designation of an Anti-Red Tape Committee (CART) in all government agencies.

In a news release on Monday, the ARTA also said it will be rolling out the guidelines nationwide via ARTA’s Facebook Live at 1:30 pm on Monday to help agencies effectively comply with the memorandum circular.

“The President’s directive to ‘cut red tape’ is a directive to all agencies and instrumentalities of the government which is why all of us must improve fast,” ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica said.

Belgica said the creation of a CART on agencies “will help establish a national network of regulatory reform champions within the government bureaucracy and will be concentrated on addressing inefficiency and red-tape matters within their own backyards.”

“More than anything else, the battle against red-tape ultimately involves a change in paradigm from a regulatory mindset into a more citizen-centric mindset,” he added.

On Sep. 30, 2020, ARTA issued the MC 2020-07 directing all government agencies including state universities, local government units (LGUs), government-owned or -controlled corporations, and other government instrumentalities in the Philippines and abroad providing services covering business and nonbusiness related transactions to designate a CART.

The designated CART shall be tasked to ensure that the agency will comply with the provisions of Republic Act 11032, its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), and with the subsequent issuances by ARTA.

The CART’S creation is mandated under Section 1 of the law’s IRR which states that each agency shall designate a unit to perform streamlining and reengineering of systems and procedures.

Among others, the CART shall conduct compliance cost analysis, time and motion studies, evaluation and improvement of all the agency’s systems and procedures to reduce bureaucratic red tape and processing time.

It will also be responsible for periodically reviewing the agency’s Citizen’s Charter and ensuring that the agency strictly complies with the 3-7-20 prescribed processing time for transactions and the zero-contact policy.

The committee will comprise a chairperson, vice chairperson and at least five other members.

The head of the agency or any official he/she designates (who must at least be the third highest ranking official in the agency) shall serve as the committee’s chairperson. The specific functions and composition of the CART will be discussed further in the roll-out on Monday afternoon.

The MC 2020-07 has been authorized and approved by the Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Council on Aug. 5, 2020, pursuant to Section 19 of Republic Act 11032. Prior to its issuance, ARTA also held consultation meetings with and had incorporated inputs from national government agencies and LGUs.