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Philippines: Government launches online database for business
MANILA, Philippines — The government formally launched yesterday an electronic database intended to help streamline the registration and renewal process for business permits.
The Philippine Business Data Bank (PBDB) system, a project of the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), was opened yesterday to national government agencies, local government units (LGUs) and the public.
PBDB is a web-based application that allows government agencies and LGUs to readily access data on a particular business which, in turn, benefits businesses as they would no longer need to present multiple documents when applying for permits.
The platform can be accessed via pbdb-staging.apps.gov.ph.
“With the PBDB, government agencies can readily access data on a particular business, eliminating the need for business owners to bring numerous documentary requirements when transacting with the government,” Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said.
He said the PBDB would also allow the public to verify the existence of a business entity using a single reference document, with data generated from various government agencies, namely the Department of Trade and Industry, Securities and Exchange Commission, Cooperative Development Authority and LGUs, starting with Quezon City.
According to the DICT, information shared in the PBDB system covers data that businesses have already made public, as contained in their respective business permits.
The DICT said the verification process of a business entity is also limited to exact name searches, preventing users from random searches or phishing.
The PBDB system is among the initiatives of the DOF under the government’s anti-red tape program to improve the ease of doing business in the country.
It was developed by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, and managed by the DICT.
In the future, Beltran said the PBDB will include business data of economic locators in the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the other ecozones across the country.
Earlier, the DOF said it is harnessing the power of digital technology to implement major initiatives in improving ease of doing business in the country.
The agency is also set to launch by the end of the year the TradeNet platform, which allows traders to apply for import and export permits online.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/12/05/1765259/government-launches-online-database-business