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Philippines eyes top 20 ranking by 2020 in Ease of Doing Business

MANILA, Philippines –  The Philippines targets a huge leap in its ranking in the “Doing Business” report of the World Bank in three years as it plans to start automating government processes.

Trade Secretary and National Competitiveness Council (NCC) chair Ramon Lopez said the country aims to move up within the top 20 global rankings in doing business by 2020.

The Doing Business report is an annual publication of the World Bank reviewing the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it among economies worldwide. The Philippines climbed four notches in the rankings released in October last year, from 103rd in 2015 to 99th out of 190 economies in 2016.

“The vision is to be one of the best, not only for ranking purposes but to really make it easy for both local and foreign businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises to register their businesses and get necessary permits,” Lopez said.

“For those who have less in life, we do not make their lives harder in dealing with the government. Their business is to create, innovate and employ people, not to spend days lining up in government offices,” he added.

Lopez said the target requires a lot of reforms, but can be done by starting to automate government processes.

He said automation should be done over the next two years as the Doing Business report for 2020 would take into consideration the existing situation in 2019.

The trade chief also called on government offices to continue streamlining their business processing and licensing system.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/06/29/1714448/phl-eyes-top-20-ranking-2020-ease-doing-business