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The Philippine Economic Zone Authority will start automating its systems and processes, including its payment method, to simplify doing business for applicant investors and current locators of economic zones
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The automation program includes an electronic payment collection system, digitization and document management system, electronic letter of authority, engineering permits assessment monitoring system, online visa submission for foreign investors, and online submission of the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act report
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) will start implementing an automation program that includes an online payment system, with the aim to improve ease of doing business for applicant investors and current locators of economic zones.
PEZA director-general Charito Plaza in a statement said the agency will adopt technologies and innovations and explore digital platforms “to improve good governance, transparency, ease of doing business, and accountability,”
In line with this automation program, PEZA on February 18 signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with I-PAY MYEG PH (IPMPI), an online payment gateway provider that operates and maintains an Electronic Payment Collection System (EPCS) and has the capability to integrate with PEZA’s online portal.
IPMPI is offering its EPCS and related services to PEZA at no cost, and it has also passed the authority’s accreditation process for online payment gateway providers.
The EPCS enables clients to remit payments through various channels such as ATM accounts, credit cards, mobile wallets, and over-the-counter facilities.
Plaza said the use of EPCS “will improve transparency, accountability, and good governance in PEZA’s brand of service.”
The MOA is in line with Republic Act (RA) No. 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Services Delivery Act of 2019, which aims to improve government transaction systems and procedures.
Plaza said the EPCS will be rolled out in 30 to 45 days following the MOA signing.
The automation program also includes the following:
- Digitization and Document Management System (DMS) for a more efficient, secure, and organized document management for PEZA. The DMS was recently implemented at the Cavite Economic Zone and will be implemented at economic zones in Mactan and Baguio City in the next few weeks following the recent deployment of scanners.
- Electronic Letter of Authority (eLOA) for four types of LOAs, which is currently undergoing pilot implementation. Electronic filing of other types of LOAs and the eLOA’s integration into the payment gateway system is targeted for April 2021.
- Engineering Permits Assessment Monitoring System (EPAMS), now being redeveloped to update system functionalities and secure a more efficient interconnection with the billing and collection system. EPAMS will automate the filing and monitoring of engineering permits.
Further, the procurement and development of the online visa for foreign investors will start this year. The process will be a web-based system that will manage and monitor the submission of visa applications by foreign nationals, expatriates, and their dependents working for PEZA-registered enterprises.
An online system developed by the National Economic and Development Authority will also be adopted in relation to the required submission of the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA) report. The law requires locators receiving tax incentives to submit the report to PEZA. RA 10708, or TIMTA, allows for the submission of online documents of annual reports to reduce the tedium of organizing and extracting voluminous data required by the TIMTA.
Plaza earlier said that for 2020, PEZA generated P95 billion in investments with the registration of 300 projects. As of October 2020, PEZA has also generated US$45.085 billion in exports and created 1.541 million jobs.
For January 2021, the PEZA Board approved a total of 24 projects, which are seen to provide 5,601 jobs and bring in P11.308 billion in investments, a 139% increase from the P4.726 billion investments generated in January 2020.
To date, of the total 2,571 companies registered at PEZA, 2,229 companies are in Luzon and continue to operate, 393 companies out of 409 companies in the Visayas are operating, and 46 out of 47 companies in Mindanao are operational.
