02/11/2023
Series 20 – Ugly Business
Doing business in the Philippines can be so complex. It's not easy. Some ventures are very sophisticated in terms of registration and application.
Other stints might seem easy to establish, but the challenges of entrepreneurship are always present. Don’t get me wrong; success can still be achieved even if you are a small business owner.
Hard work works! But sometimes, dealing with government offices can be overwhelming.
-Trucking Industry-
If you offer hauling services to clients, besides paying for the business permit, you must first register your truck at the Land Transportation Office (LTO). You must also submit specific documents to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to obtain a franchise for your truck.
A trucking membership is also needed. You can choose from the three transportation groups: HATAW, ACTO, or CTAP. To enter the port, you must also apply for a permit at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to be eligible to enter their premises. If your company serves a client inside a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), specific requirements must be presented at their office to enter their premises.
A “cute” sticker will be the proof of your membership to these institutions.
One missing document, and you might just be lucky to find your truck impounded by some crooked traffic officers lurking around Metro Manila.
This trick of enforcers might just be one of the most dumbfounded incidents that can happen to your innocent vehicle. You might also be towed even if your truck functions properly just because they found something missing with your documents. F>C%!
All of these things plus the many expenses you needed to shell out to sustain the operations of your humble company.
Big players in the industry might brush this off, but to small, thriving entrepreneurs, this might be overwhelming.
I'm curious how government agencies work with too much complexity. Aren’t they tired of it? Can this be solved in a one-stop office so people would be more engaged to do business and contribute to a growing economy?
-From Big Players to the Humble Sari-Sari Store-
Interesting stories can also be learned from foreigners doing business in the Philippines.
One interesting story I heard from an individual working in a large corporation shared that her boss felt frustrated about doing business here in our country. There are just too many people that you need to “PAY” (LAGAY=LAGYAN NG PERA=BIGYAN=ABUTAN=TAN***A) in order for your business to operate smoothly.
The boss commented, "Your country will find it hard to succeed with this kind of system.”
Even if our country would place the best Leader we can ever have on the government, it seems that “WE” are our own source of cancer.
From the most complicated things to operate, our humble sari-sari stores also share some interesting encounters in their daily operations. If you sell 100 meters away from a school, selling liquor and ci******es is prohibited.
As a “tindero,” sometimes you just can’t catch a break. I wonder if this rule saved the health of minors who sit in front of their computers all day long to play games of “killing-themed” games.
Your mini-store is also subject to checking by city hall inspectors who investigate if you have your permit. Your store, which earns approximately 300 pesos daily, still needs to appear at the city hall if you are flagged down by some city hall checkers.
From the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to City Hall Permits, endless payments to the government are made. Can this money finally solve the many things that bother our system?
-Make it Simple-
Despite all of the tax collection done, are we just making our lives more complicated and miserable? Doing business here in the Philippines would be more progressive if the system were more straightforward and uncomplicated.
Penalties are imposed on people who make a mistake in dealing with government offices.
What about the government? Who will impose penalties on erring government offices? Who will penalize those arrogant government employees who don’t even do public service? Who must be accountable for the backlogs of car plates and ID cards? If they are late, would they be flagged for it?
