Will be checking the webby later on.
Sounds great though.
SEPT 20, 2003
All your business licensing needs on one website
One-stop shop will make it a breeze for businesses to check what
licences they need, then apply and pay online
By Lee Su Shyan
COMPANIES CORRESPONDENT
GOOD news for wannabe entrepreneurs: Setting up a business is about
to get easier. In the works is a one-stop shop that meets all your
licensing needs.
The project, called the Startup eAdvisor, is the brainchild of the
Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Finance,
and has about 30 government agencies on board.
This shop has no physical address. Instead, it is found on the
MTI's website.
Say, you want to set up a cafe. By clicking on that particular
business, a list of licences will pop up.
There is also information on registering your business,
incorporating a company and 'cess registration'.
Other than the compulsory licences you will need, the checklist
also prompts you to check if you have to approve your building for
fire safety works, get a licence to sell tobacco products or get a
permit to operate a kitchen for food preparation, for
example.
This project is just one of several initiatives started by the
Government in a bid to promote enterprise.
News of the website's development emerged at a press conference
held yesterday by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship
(ACE).
The site - believed to be the first of its kind in the world - will
not only enable businessmen to check what licences they need, but
will also allow them to apply and pay for the licences
online.
However, it is still in its early stages. Currently, businessmen
can apply for only four licences, such as the CPF's Employer
Registration licence, online.
But come July next year, about 40 licences are expected to be
available online. And there are plans for a seamless hook-up with
the Registry of Companies and even the Ministry of Manpower - to
facilitate businessmen's hiring of foreign workers, for
example.
As well, according to information provided by the MTI, '154
licences identified to be relevant to start-ups have been reviewed
to date'.
The thinking behind this is that the need for various licences is
evaluated first, rather than automatically including them.
This is to minimise the number of licences required, thus
increasing efficiency.
And the plan is that there will be only a one-time payment for
multiple licensing fees.
But for those impatient entrepreneurs out there, take heart -
application times are being cut, too.
The MTI said that the 'average processing time of the licences
reviewed has been reduced from three weeks to two weeks. Of the 154
licences, 43 will now be processed in less than three days, and
another 42 in under one week'.
Another improvement also involves reducing the number of supporting
documents that applicants need to submit.
British Chamber of Commerce president Shanker Iyer says: 'At the
moment, many businesses have no clue where to look. The idea of
coordinating it all in one place will be very welcome.'
But he adds: 'It would be good if the initiative goes one step
further and government grants which are more generic and available
to more businesses could also be included.'
Copyright @ 2003 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.