THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is seeking an additional P80 million next year to support its regional operations and its newly launched electronic complaint management system (eCMS).
On the sidelines of the launch of the eCMS on Wednesday, ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez said the additional funding comes on top of the P480-million budget it was allocated under the National Expenditure Program for 2026.
“We will request an additional P80 million to support our regional field offices and to add lawyers. That will be enough to sustain us next year. But of course, the bigger the budget, the better,” Mr. Perez said.
He said that the funding will also support the eCMS, which will increase ARTA’s capacity for processing complaints.
“We anticipate that there will be a surge in complaints. That is why we requested additional resources,” he said. “This is not just about receiving complaints, we will see all of them through resolution.”
As of July, ARTA has received almost 4,500 complaints via phone or e-mail, bringing the number of complaints it has fielded since 2018 to over 32,000.
The platform launched by ARTA and the Department of Information and Communications Technology will streamline and standardize the handling of public complaints about inefficient or corrupt bureaucratic practices.
The artificial intelligence (AI)-supported platform will be accessible 24/7 and will offer real-time tracking and automated case assignment.
Separately, Mr. Perez said ARTA is seeking to amend the Ease of Doing Business Act to give the agency more subpoena power and the authority to initiate court proceedings.
“All of this will depend on the Office of the President (OP). We are proposing this, subject to the clearance of the OP, to give this priority status in the 28th Congress,” he said.
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said that he will recommend that telecommunications companies launch their own eCMS platforms to improve their services.
“I will propose that all telcos develop something like an AI service assistant,” Mr. Aguda said.
He said AI platforms will help customers get immediate answers on questions related to bills, overcharges, and service disruptions, among others.
“I think they will positively receive this. If not, I think they are already doing it, but I am proposing this so that we will make it a standard because the government has started,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
