Establishment of Negosyo Centers pushed

A lawmaker is pushing for the passage of a measure that would strengthen the sector of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which plays an important socio-economic role in the nation’s machinery.

Rep. Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City) filed House Bill 4015 that seeks to promote more participation from the private sector in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Council.

“Providing the MSME sector with better incentives and benefits, granting more access to focused support for enhanced business performance, promoting support to key growth industries and facilitating financing support programs that are much-needed for growth will strengthen this sector,” Castelo said.

Castelo said the bill has the potential to assist MSMEs to integrate themselves in the formal economic market, which will bring forth more job opportunities and the enhanced growth of the nation’s economy.

“MSMEs, now more than ever, have an important socio-economic role in our nation’s machinery.  Unemployment numbers are growing, and we have to realize that allocating effort and resources towards a strong and thriving MSME sector not only sustains, but also leads to the creation of considerable and promising net employment,” Castelo stressed.

Under the measure to be known as the “Go Negosyo Act of 2014,” a “Negosyo Center” shall be established in all provinces, cities and municipalities under the supervision of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Council.

The MSMED Council shall ensure inter-agency coordination, local government unit (LGU) participation and public-private partnerships in the establishment and management of Negosyo Centers. It shall perform oversight functions and shall assign personnel to fulfill the functions of the NegosyoCenters.

The Negosyo Centers shall be responsible for promoting ease of doing business and access to services for MSMEs within its jurisdiction. It shall accept and facilitate all registration applications for MSMEs, integrate a unified business process system, encourage government institutions that are related to the business application process and supply information and services in training, financing and marketing.

A unified and simplified business registration form shall be created by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and shall be made available in all Negosyo Centers.

The bill provides a Start-up Fund for MSMEs to be sourced from the MSME Development Fund and Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) to provide financing for the development and promotion of MSMEs in priority sectors of the economy.

To ensure greater representation by the sector’s involved, the MSMED Council shall be composed of the Secretaries of the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI), Agriculture (DA), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Interior and Local Government, Science and Technology (DILG) and Tourism (DOT), Director General of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas(BSP), Chairman of the Small Business Corporation, three representatives from the MSME sector, one from the labor sector and the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and the House Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development.

The bill mandates the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) through the office of Public Information in each city or municipality, in coordination with DTI, BSP, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the DILG to ensure the proper and adequate information dissemination of the contents and benefits of this Act to the general public. (dcherald/PR)