Photo shows Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Ramon M. Lopez (1st on the left, seated) as he witnessed the signing of the expanded IPU Net MOA by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III (center, seated) along with BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay (3rd from the right, seated), BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero (2nd from the right, seated), BLGF Executive Director Nino Alvina (1st from the right, seated) and SEC Chairman Emilio Aquino (2nd from the left, seated).

Trade Secretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Chairman Ramon M. Lopez recently witnessed the signing of the enhanced Investments Promotion Units Network (IPU Net) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, along with four (4) high-ranking officials of government agencies under the Department of Finance (DOF). Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Caesar Dulay, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Executive Director Niño Alvina and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Emilio Aquino.

Aligned with the recent enactment of the Ease of Doing Business Law, the newly enhanced IPU Net MOA aims for stronger collaboration and commitment among the thirty-six (36) investments-facilitating government agencies which will further promote the ease of doing business and increase competitiveness in the business environment of the country.

The IPU Net MOA not only covers the facilitation of business processes such as permits and licenses issuance, but also opens broader opportunities for inter-agency collaboration to streamline and revisit the existing guidelines of the member agencies, in support of the Ease of Doing Business Law.

The strengthening of partnership among the IPU Net members will upgrade the facilitation efforts of the team, and one of the major initiatives of the IPU Net that reflects ease of doing business is the implementation of the One Window Network (OWN) which is a cloud-based website that can connect investors to thirty-six (36) government agencies relative to whatever issues, concerns, and/or queries lodged in the system, with specification of real-time updates that can be received thru email or text message.

The BOI serves as the IPUNET Secretariat and since 2007, it was able to identify other equally important government agencies in helping secure the competitiveness in the business climate by expanding its number from original twenty-seven (27) to thirty-six (36) participating members, in which DOF, BIR, BOC, SEC are among the original participating government agencies, while BLGF is one of the new members written in this MOA.

Several heads of the agencies involved in the partnership already signed and among these were the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), DTI, BOI, Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). Other partner agencies are expected to sign soon.♦

Date of Release: 4 September 2019