Taguig, Valenzuela cities top business-friendly list

THIRTEEN out of 20 cities carried out regulatory reforms to make it easier to start and operate a business in their localities, according to a joint report of the International Finance Corp. (IFC) and World Bank. In their Doing Business in the Philippines 2011, IFC-World Bank said 65 percent of the cities benchmarked for the second time since 2008 showed positive reforms in at least one of the three areas measured – starting a business, registering property, and dealing with construction permits.

The report said it is easiest to start a business in General Santos, obtain construction permits in Davao City, and register property in Valenzuela.

Janamitra Devan, IFC-World Bank vice president for Financial and Private Sector Development, said the progress in regulatory improvements at the local level in the Philippines is an important step toward expanding business opportunities throughout the country.

“A regulatory environment where entrepreneurs can start a business and then grow their firms can expand opportunities for the poor,” Devan said.

The report said many of the improvements came from re-engineering business processes, reducing fees, and using new technology.

For starting a business, Pasay eliminated two procedures in the business permit application process.

Notaries in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela reduced their fees for preparing sales deeds and related documents, saving money for local entrepreneurs.

Cebu City’s Register of Deeds completed the nationwide land titling computerization project, which cut in half the time required to register a property title from 10 to five days.

Doing Business in the Philippines 2011 documents the wide variations in local business regulations across the country.

The high number of procedures, expenses, and requirements remain the biggest challenge for local entrepreneurs.

While no single city does equally well on all three indicators, Taguig and Valenzuela are
consistently ranked in the top seven across all three indicators.

The study was conducted in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center.

It was funded by the Australian Agency for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank Group.

Last month, IFC-World Bank’s Doing Business 2011 report showed that the country’s ranking in terms of ease of doing business fell by two notches to 148th from the 146th last year.

The report surveyed 183 economies.

Out of the nine criteria used in the study to measure a country’s competitiveness, the Philippines scored poor in terms of dealing with construction permits at 156th place from last year’s 111th. –DARWIN G. AMOJELARSENIOR REPORTER, Manila Times