The Department of Trade and Industry, the temporary Secretariat of the Anti Red Tape Authority (ARTA), is partnering with the startup community in implementing Project One—One form, One number, One portal for business registration.

Banking on the millennial start-up revolution, the government will begin its collaboration with start-ups in developing a content-rich portal that will make available important LGU information to investors, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as potential entrepreneurs.

The ASEAN Task Force on Starting a Business has identified the lack of information on government registration process and the lack of understanding on the benefits of registration as constraints that need to be addressed to encourage the registration of micro, informal, and family enterprises.

In 2017, the New Zealand Government conducted a scoping mission in the Philippines and observed the absence of available information about the business registration procedures in LGUs, which resulted to repeated visits in government offices and delayed completion of process due to incomplete submission of requirements, since businesses are not fully aware of the documentary requirements and the process. An online portal is seen to solve this constraint.

Project One, the first project of the newly created Anti Red Tape Authority— will use the Design Sprint in creating a prototype of the online portal for LGU business registration processes. Created by Google Ventures, Design Sprint is extensively used in the private sector by the world’s most innovative companies. Over the last few years Design Sprint is increasingly used in the public sector due to their high levels of productivity, efficiency, and customer orientation. Creative HQ of New Zealand is the facilitator of the Design Sprint for the Anti Red Tape Authority.

Prior to the Design Sprint, a Boot Camp was organized to select the seven members that will form part of the core team. The participants were selected from the startup community, with proven experience in business innovation and information and communication technology (ICT).

This is the first time the Philippine government will deploy Design Sprint to solve business registration problems in an innovative manner. We have high hopes that this is a good start after the law on ease of doing business has been enacted. We expect that with the successful creation of a prototype, we will be able to address the lack of information which has been identified as a major bottleneck for investors and MSMEs. We hope to transform how government works with the use of technology (govtech)“, said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.

The first Design Sprint on the online portal for LGU registration processes is scheduled on July 23-27. The next Design Sprint will create the framework for one Philippine Business Number (PHBN), and the third and last Design Sprint will develop an end-to-end registration process.

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Date of Release: 23 July 2018