The Finance Department said Thursday it created an anti-red tape team to reduce the average number of days in processing documents in attached agencies, including the Bureaus of Internal Revenue and Customs.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III issued Department Order No. 38-2016 that formally created the anti-red tape team headed by undersecretary Gil Beltran.
The issuance followed the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte for all government offices to provide fast and hassle-free frontline services to the public.
Dominguez ordered the new team to formulate measures to speed up work-related processes not only at the department but also in DoF-attached agencies such as the BIR, Customs and government-owned and -controlled corporations.
“The department is committed to streamline the delivery of government services and intends to pursue this by designating employees and officials specifically for this purpose,” the order read.
The order is in support of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, which mandates all public offices to implement measures promoting transparency and simplified procedures and expedite transactions in government.
RA 9485 calls for effective practices aimed at preventing graft and corruption in government offices.
Duterte earlier ordered all department secretaries to cut red tape in their respective offices in his first Cabinet meeting at Malacañang Palace on June 30.
Prior to his new appointment, Beltran was DoF’s chief economist and undersecretary for policy development and management services group. He has served the department since 1978.
“The main objective of the department order is to find ways to enable the public to transact with the department at a faster pace at least cost,” Beltran said.
“The public deserves nothing less,” he said.
Beltran’s anti-red tape team will be composed of all members of the DoF’s taskforce/committee on Citizen’s charter plus one representative each from the respective citizen’s charter committees of attached bureaus and agencies.
Other members of the team may also be designated by the finance secretary.
The order also directed the anti-red tape team to review and evaluate the DoF’s Citizen Charter as well as rules and regulations regarding processes in the department, bureaus, attached agencies and GOCCs, particularly those that provide frontline services.