Ben Madilynn
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) urged members and partners in government to embrace digital tools not only to enhance the ease of doing business but, more importantly, to ensure the prompt delivery of services to the public.
Speaking at the Digital Transformation and Innovation Forum on June 20, 2024, Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) Director-General Secretary Ernesto Perez called for government offices to integrate digital technologies across the bureaucracy to enhance the ease of doing business, streamline processes, expedite responses and promptly deliver public services.
“Like a forest with big trees, shorter trees, shrubs, grasses, moss and the other living creatures – their connection to and interaction forms the forest ecosystem. So is the business ecosystem. It is essential to understand each enterprise and other organizations who live and thrive in this forest and how they interact with their environment to design and develop approaches and strategies to promote long-term forest ecosystem health,” said CCCI president Jay Yuvallos.
Over 200 entrepreneurs, business leaders, executives, academe, line agencies, sectoral associations and sub-cultures attended the 2024 Digital Transformation and Innovation Forum with the theme: “Enabling Cebu’s Competitiveness Through Digital Transformation and Innovation.”
Ma. Margarita Mejia, department head of Business Permits and Licensing in Quezon City, shared the digital initiatives of the city and how it helped facilitate business permit renewals, submission and payment of related documents.
She said the establishment of automated renewal and issuance of business permits resulted in a significant decrease in pending delivered permits as well as minimized bias and corruption in the bureaucratic process.
Mejia said that the shift to the digitalization of Quezon City impacted the business community which gained a 350 percent increase in capital investment, about 98 percent of business owners are processing business applications online and a 25 percent increase in new business registrants.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry represented by Yuvallos and the National Development Company represented by assistant general manager Leopoldo John Acot. This agreement aims to create an innovation hub for entrepreneurs, investors, startups and industry experts to meet, share ideas and build successful enterprises in Cebu and the Visayas.
Arta and the chamber also renewed their agreement to enhance Cebu’s business environment and streamline processes and bolster the economic landscape by fostering innovation, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and promoting digital transformation through another MOU signing ceremony.
The 2024 Digital Transformation and Innovation Forum is part of the Cebu Business Months celebration organized by the CCCI. / KOC
