CLARK FREEPORT ZONE (PIA) — The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) has introduced automatic renewal of business permits for qualified locators to boost investments, sustain jobs, and reduce red tape and compliance costs.
The system allows businesses in good standing to renew permits annually without manual application, replacing the previous three-year cycle and improving operational certainty.
CDC President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes Devanadera said the initiative aims to help locators grow and maximize opportunities in Clark.
“CDC is within your reach. You can come straight to us. The best that we want to happen here for our locators is for you to be able to earn as much as you can,” she said.
During the program’s rollout, 220 locators qualified for automatic renewal, reflecting strong compliance among businesses in the zone.
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) recognized the reform as a milestone in government efficiency and ease of doing business.
“You are the first agency to have institutionalized our dream of adopting an automatic renewal policy as mandated under the Ease of Doing Business Law,” ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez said.
He added that the move strengthens investment promotion, especially amid current challenges.
“This is really a milestone in attracting not only existing investors to expand, but even prospective investors, especially at this time of crisis, at this time of the energy emergency that is present here,” Perez said.
Business groups said the initiative will also have a direct impact on workers.
“Ultimately, reforms such as this benefit not just the locators, but also the thousands of employees who rely on stable and growing businesses for their livelihood,” Clark Investors and Locators Association President Ernesto Gorospe said.
CDC said the reform is part of its continuing efforts to streamline processes, enhance investor confidence, and ensure sustained economic activity in Clark Freeport. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
