Towards One Business Permit and Licensing System

My agency is again busy preparing for another big event: The NERBAC Kick-off Conference and Workshop, bannered "Towards One BPLS for CEBU”.

The NERBAC conference and workshop aims to streamline and harmonize the Business Permit and Licensing System (BPLS) of all Local Government Units (LGUs) and National Government Agencies (NGAs) in Cebu province.

Knowing the different cultures and priorities of LGUs and NGAs here, this is one gargantuan task. If we can pull this off than it would be one for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Another purpose for our activity is to find ways for NERBAC to work in tandem with LGU leaders to invigorate further the investment climate in the province. Our end-goal is to ease the way for more entrepreneurs to invest and do business in Cebu.

At this point, invitations are still being drafted. What makes everything a bit more complicated today is that we are moving some of our staff to the new NERBAC and rearranging our furniture and equipment at the regional office to fill a vacated space.

For those not in the know, the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (NERBAC) was created In line with Republic Act No. 7470 to facilitate business transactions in the province and fast track investment entry in the region. It houses representatives from different government agencies that are tasked to process business permit and licenses.

The NERBAC is a one-stop action center that facilitates the processing and documentation of all paper requirements necessary for the establishment of a business enterprise in the country including credit services. It provides prospective entrepreneurs/ investors basic information on various business options that are open to them in accordance with the government’s IPP (Investment Priorities Plan).