Davao City goes online business permit application, renewal

The city government of Davao has taken on the full digitization of business permit application and renewal to ease doing business during the pandemic.

“Meron na po tayong tinatawag na electronic business one-stop shop. All online applications ng business permit natin, pwede na nating gawin dito sa Davao City,” Atty. Lawrence Bantiding, the City Treasurer, said on Tuesday’s online show “Sara All For You.”

Taxpayers can visit the application and renewal website through https://appbts.davaocity.gov.ph.

The automation hopes to resolve two major problems in face-to-face transactions: the long queues of business permit applicants and tax payers, and limit the number of clients from personally visiting application and renewal sites to ensure health protocols against COVID-19 are properly observed.

“In the comfort of their homes, ang mga taxpayers po natin, pwede na po nilang i-lodge ang application nila through online. Pati yung assessment natin is through online na rin po. All they have to do is upload the necessary documents para ma-asses namin yung kaukulang bayarin nila,” the city treasurer said.

Bantiding said that upon completing the submission of necessary documents and paying incurred taxes and fees, a taxpayer can print his first or renewed business permit.

The city government started implementing the online business application and renewal middle of 2021. The system features systematic computation of fees to lessen human intervention and prevent errors and fixers.

Bantiding also said that from two main application sites located in a mall and inside the Sangguniang Panlungsod building, they have established eight additional locations across the city for applicants and taxpayers who still opt to pay physically.

Mayor and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte, who hosts the online show, lauded the team for coming up with a fast and convenient way of catering to business owners.

She also congratulated the City Treasurer’s Office for being an awardee of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) for its outstanding performance for calendar year 2020 in exceeding real-property tax target with a collection efficiency of 190.95 per cent and business tax target with collection efficiency of 153.24 per cent. The city government also ranked seventh on the local revenue collection among cities.