The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said Friday that it has acted on nearly 1,200 complaints against violations of rules against excessive red tape.
In a statement, ARTA said it has shifted its focus to target fixers, especially along East Avenue in Quezon City where various government agencies are located.
The agency said fixers in those agencies have “proliferated.”
ARTA said it acted upon 1,178 complaints on violations of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 between December 2019 and June 2021.
“Of this number, 235 complaints are undergoing investigation, 537 have been resolved, and the rest are being reviewed. The agency has also forwarded 5,630 complaints not related to red tape to appropriate agencies,” it added.
The agency said it has filed at least 528 cases against violators as of June 2021.
It said the number includes eight that were filed before the Civil Service Commission, 511 before the Office of the Ombudsman, three before the Office of the President, and six before the courts and prosecutor’s office.
ARTA also said it helped expedite the release of more than 35,000 permits.
“These figures include the 8,510 permits, license, clearance and certifications which were automatically approved or released by numerous government agencies from the period July 2019 to June 2021,” it said. – Arjay L. Balinbin