City Hall to digitalize biz licensing system

By John Noel E. Herrera

The Iloilo City Government will start to digitize its business process transactions next year as it adopts the new electronic Business Process Licensing System (eBPLS).

Iloilo City Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) Officer Velma Jane Lao said that the new e-licensing system introduced by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will make business transactions in the city faster, more transparent, and more convenient.

Lao added that the digitalization of transactions is also requested by clients to have better accessibility without commuting and physical interaction, and for more efficient transaction processes.

“We will have an end-to-end business process licensing, which means it will be done online from application up to the payment and releasing of the permit,” Lao said.

Lao also revealed that they already recommended the enactment of an ordinance implementing eBPLS in the city and the proposed measure “is now with the City Legal Office.”

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Trenas also said that the city government will try to “have the ordinance on this e-payment already approved by the City Council and implement it right away.”

“Importante nga mas mahapos para sa aton pumuluyo nga magbayad… Ang mga off-site payment centers ta usaron ta para makabulig kita paregister sang tanan nga mga business permit applicants as hopefully everyone will be able to make use of this e-payment,” Trenas added.

The city government got the idea of implementing the eBPLS in the city after they conducted a benchmarking and learning visit in Mandaue City in Cebu last week.

There is also a need for both the new applicants and those seeking renewal of permits to register online when the e-licensing system is already implemented.

“For this renewal period in January, they need to register gid and then apply because we need to set up the clean database which will be the basis for their yearly renewal,” Lao said.

“We recommend maintaining a masterlist containing all data of all registrants and must have a data storage independent with that from the DICT nga storage… naka cloud storage sa DICT, but it is recommended that we will have our own storage for all the masterlist of all businesses in the city of Iloilo,” she added.

They are also looking to launch the system anytime this month, which will be followed by massive information and dissemination on how to register their businesses, and short training for accounting firms on the registration process.

New applicants can also start creating their accounts this year and their new profile will serve as their access to their information, tax records, and payment.

The city government also said that the more than 17,000 businesses registered in the city this year are expected to renew their permits next year.