PEF advocates common platform for permit acquisitions

In addressing the delays encountered in acquiring permits by private businesses, the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF) has recommended a single platform where all services pertaining to permits and certificates would be offered.

In an interview at a one-day workshop to validate draft Service Delivery Charters of selected regulatory agencies on Wednesday in Accra, the President of PEF, Nana Osei Bonsu said following the completion draft Service Delivery Charter, businesses will be able to acquire permits and other relevant documents faster and easier.

Currently, most private businesses face a major issue of permit acquisition delays which stifles their productivity.

According to the Federation, businesses suffer unnecessary deferrals in the acquisition of permits, licenses and certificates, where in some cases, processes that should be completed in a week took several months to complete.

Bonsu observed that it’s not only because these agencies don’t want to do the job, but due to they being constrained by the access to adequate logistics.

“It is disruptive to business, said Osei Bonsu. “So if we have a common platform for all of the agencies and we have an IT system where businesses can do licensing from the comfort of their homes and pay the requisite fee into a bank account, it would reduce the interface between people.”

“Once you reduce that, you reduce the option or opportunity for somebody to demand for money or from extorting money from private businesses, he stated.

Delays among other obstacles associated with the acquisition of permits, licenses and certificates add to the cost of doing business.

“If the system was efficient and you could do it from home you would not have to interface with anybody. So, we are looking at the efficiency and the delivery of this service based upon the charges that the agencies themselves have put together.” He said.