The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday it formed a technical working group (TWG) tasked with reviewing and reforming existing regulatory policies to streamline processes, eliminate red tape and ultimately support the growth of the agriculture sector.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel appointed Undersecretary for policy, planning and regulations Asis Perez and Undersecretary and chief of staff Alvin John Balagbag as co-chairs of the TWG.
The group will build upon previous reviews conducted by DA regulatory agencies, focusing on identifying areas for improvement.
“I created this technical working group to harmonize regulations of various agencies of the DA to promote efficiency, trim red tape, and plug loopholes and clarify ambiguities that could be exploited and abused by unscrupulous individuals,” Tiu Laurel said.
The TWG will prioritize regulations with significant impact on stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. Their recommendations, including potential repeals and amendments, will be forwarded to the DA Regulatory Clearinghouse System for further review.
“We expect this process to lead to faster service delivery for our stakeholders, a more business-friendly DA, and increased agricultural investments,” Tiu Laurel said.
Perez said the review process may take about a year. “Our mandate is to make the DA not just a fair and efficient regulator but, more importantly, an enabler to promote the growth of agriculture,” he said.
