The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on 10 May 2024 at BDO Valero Towers, Makati City. The signing is also part of the launch of Policy Pioneers, titled: “Driving Economic Competitiveness,” a quarterly initiative of the British Chamber to highlight policy developments and initiatives of the government.
The event is in partnership with BDO and Shell, with over 20 attendees from the British Embassy Manila and Member companies of the British Chamber. The opening remarks was led by BCCP Executive Director/Trustee Chris Nelson and emphasized on its consistent work with ARTA in the previous years. Noting that the signing of the MOU will reinforce its commitment to encourage British investors in the country.
Nelson underscored the importance of ARTA in strengthening the UK-Philippines partnership.
“The British Chamber joins the Anti-Red Tape Authority towards encouraging more investors to come to the Philippines. ARTA Champion must eliminate economic barriers and create a conducive business environment for the British and the overall business community in the Philippines,” Nelson noted.
Meanwhile, ARTA Director General Secretary Ernesto V. Perez gave his presentation on the policy updates and developments on the initiatives of ARTA. Secretary Perez encourages public-private collaboration to further assist in streamlining processes and registration to empower businesses in multiple sectors in the country.
He also acknowledged ARTA’s collaborative efforts with the UK government on streamlining the training period of covered agencies through regulatory assessments, training, and manual.
“The British government was also instrumental in crafting the whole-of-government reengineering manual. We are now in the implementation–government agents must submit to us their reengineering plan and we continue to monitor its implementation,” Perez said.
The MOU agreement mobilizes the British Chamber and other ARTA Champions to assist ARTA in addressing red tape and promoting the ease of doing business initiatives. The British Chamber reinforces its commitment to closely working with the government and identifies the signing as a significant step to further strengthen the ever-growing British business community in the Philippines.