Kidapawan taps digital permits to speed up business transactions

• Courtesy of DICT

Kidapawan City is using digital technology to simplify business permit processing, reducing the need for entrepreneurs to move between multiple government offices to complete requirements.

The city adopted the electronic Business Permit and Licensing System (eBPLS) under the electronic Local Government Unit System (eLGU), allowing business permit applications and renewals to be processed through a more streamlined digital setup.

The eLGU system, including eBPLS, is also integrated into the eGovPH App, the government’s one-stop-shop platform designed to bring public services into a single digital application and make transactions more convenient and accessible.

Through eLGU, users can access digital local government services such as business permits, community tax certificates, and civil registry transactions. The platform forms part of the government’s broader effort to digitalize frontline services and reduce paperwork and bureaucratic processes.

According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the eBPLS was introduced in Kidapawan City on June 21, 2021, in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

Before the digital system was introduced, business owners had to undergo largely manual procedures and visit different offices to complete documentary and payment requirements.

The eBPLS is designed to shorten processing time, reduce paperwork, and make local government transactions more accessible to businesses.

Beyond convenience, faster permitting can also help local governments improve compliance and revenue collection by making it easier for enterprises to register and renew their permits.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader push to digitalize frontline services and reduce administrative barriers for citizens and businesses.

For Kidapawan City, the shift highlights how digital government platforms can address an everyday concern for entrepreneurs: spending less time processing permits and more time running their businesses.