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The Department of Information and Communications Technology aims to integrate the Unified Logistics Pass into the e-GOV PH Super App for various government services
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Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board stressed the need for developing ULP’s Unified Application Form and Single Window of Payment through a possible business one-stop shop
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DICT also proposed drafting a MOA to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each involved agency in the ULP implementation
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plans to incorporate the Unified Logistics Pass (ULP) into the government’s one-stop shop mobile application for various government services, according to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).
The announcement came during a September 21 meeting led by ARTA, where the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the ULP system’s owner and lead implementer, discussed their technological needs with DICT.
ARTA highlighted several concerns, including the need for ULP’s Unified Application Form and Single Window of Payment through a possible business one-stop shop.
DICT, for its part, intends to incorporate the ULP into the e-GOV PH Super App, providing easy access to various government online services and information at both local and national levels.
DICT also proposed another meeting to discuss the drafting of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to define the roles and responsibilities of each involved agency in implementing the ULP.
The ULP is a single pass in the form of a quick response (QR) code issued to cargo trucks to ensure unhampered cargo flow. It introduces a unified registration scheme for trucking companies, with the QR code being accepted by all government agencies, including local government units (LGUs), port authorities, and economic zones.
This aims to eliminate the multiple permits, licenses, and pass-through stickers currently required by economic zones, ports, and LGUs, simplifying cargo truck movement and port entry.
The ULP project, initiated by ARTA and developed by the Department of Science and Technology, was officially launched in January 2022, marked by the signing of an MOA and a joint memorandum circular for the pilot implementation by various government agencies, port operators, and private sector partners.
READ: 9 sites to pilot Unified Logistics Pass in Jan-Feb
ULP implementation aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the country’s blueprint for medium-term socioeconomic development crafted at the beginning of each new administration.
After a pilot implementation at select ports in January 2022, LTFRB took over ULP development in June 2022.
READ: ARTA turns over Unified Logistics Pass system to LTFRB
Citing data from the World Bank Group (WBG), ARTA stated the ULP system is expected to reduce documentary requirements from 209 to 56, a 73% reduction, and cut processing time from 271 days to 35 days, an 87% improvement.
Using a standard cost calculation model, the WBG estimated potential savings for the Philippine government of over ₱1.9 billion with the ULP.
ULP implementation is also seen as lowering the cost of basic goods by eliminating various port and pass-through fees currently borne by truckers and eventually passed on to clients.
Stakeholders, especially truckers, have long voiced grievances about these pass-through fees collected by local government units (LGUs), particularly those in Metro Manila.
The ULP is a migration from RapidPass, an online system developed by Developers Connect Philippines, Inc., implemented in 2020 to facilitate quick passage for frontliners and Allowed Persons Outside of Residences during community quarantine periods in Metro Manila.
The ULP is part of ARTA’s National Effort for the Harmonization of Efficient Measures of Inter-related Agencies, or Project NEHEMIA. Launched in March 2020, Project NEHEMIA is a sector-based streamlining initiative that involves capacity building with identified agencies and public hearings with stakeholders regarding existing and new regulations.
Logistics is one of five sectors included in the first phase of Project NEHEMIA, aiming to reduce the time, cost, requirements, and procedures involved in government transactions in sectors of economic and social significance within 52 weeks.
