Gov’t updates Single Business Portal to expedite project permits
Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC, in Spanish) and Permits and Endorsements Management Office (OGPe, in Spanish) announced the launch of the first phase of improvements to the Single Business Portal (SBP), a platform for the permit application process on the island, aimed at improving the “agility of doing business.”
The government invested $2 million in the first phase of the project, which was undertaken by OGPe staff, said Félix Rivera, deputy secretary of OGPe.
During a news conference, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi stated that since the SBP’s launch in July 2018, “it has been necessary to continue innovating and finding ways to minimize and simplify the requirements for our people and our entrepreneurs to obtain their single or construction permit, among others. The DDEC and the OGPe have worked to optimize the SBP, so that it is a digitized platform, easier to use and has greater storage capacity.”
The SBP’s improvement process included discussions with users “to ensure that it addresses areas that presented difficulties in its use. By using the most modern technology, this first phase of optimization of the SBP turns it into a much more automated and more user-friendly platform, particularly in the two main products, which are the single permit and the construction permit, which represent the 60% of requests,” the governor said.
The system can process electronic validations, features more inter-agency integrations, has greater capacity to manage the number of users, and offers better cybersecurity. It also allows users to know if something is missing when they submit their information, avoiding permit delays due to lack of information.
“New measures were implemented to reduce bureaucratic processes and workflow, so that all permit applicants can have a better experience,” said Rivera.
“In addition, we have given priority to optimizing the construction permit and the single permit, as they have the greatest demand and volume,” he added. “In the next phases, more municipalities will be integrated, along with the optimization of other consultations and procedures.”
System up and running for all towns
The new system is up and running for all users in Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities. Meanwhile, 20 municipalities have joined the effort in this first phase of optimization to expedite procedures for automatic validation of the single permit and construction permit.
These include multiple municipalities under OGPe, an autonomous municipality and the ABC consortium, which comprises the municipalities of Aibonito, Barranquitas and Comerío. The other towns involved are Gurabo, Trujillo Alto, Toa Alta, Naranjito, Morovis, San Sebastián, Lares, Moca, Cidra, San Lorenzo, Hormigueros, Florida, Aguas Buenas, Corozal, Sabana Grande, Orocovis and Ciales.
These municipalities were chosen considering factors such as environmental risks, diversity of cadastre types and the impact of special laws. This ensures a short validation time while complying with applicable regulatory frameworks, government officials said.
Antonio Ramos-Guardiola, executive director of the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service (PRITS), confirmed that his agency provided support to the DDEC during the quality control, validation and implementation stage “to ensure that it had the necessary operational and virtual infrastructures.”
The new platform’s programming allows users to automatically save information and recover data if the request is closed, which simplifies the document acquisition process, Ramos-Guardiola said.
The validation of the required documents is electronic, which reduces the time it takes to file and approve procedures.
“This will allow businesses and projects to begin once permission is granted through the platform. However, they will always be subject to inspection by the relevant agencies,” he added.
