The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is calling for coordinated regulatory reforms across Southeast Asia to reduce business compliance costs, improve government efficiency and make the region more attractive to investors, as ASEAN economies face pressure to strengthen competitiveness and ease cross-border trade.
ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said governments must move beyond streamlining paperwork and focus on reforms that produce measurable benefits for businesses and citizens, including faster permit approvals, fewer redundant requirements and more predictable regulations.
“When a business permit takes days instead of months, that is a family fed and a job created,” Perez said at the opening of the 11th ASEAN-OECD Good Regulatory Practices Network Meeting and Conference in Taguig City.
Clearer trade rules could also help small farmers and manufacturers reach markets across national borders, he added.
Hosted by ARTA in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the ASEAN Secretariats, the three-day conference brings together regional regulators to exchange policy experiences and identify practical approaches to improving regulatory systems.
Perez outlined five priorities: stronger coordination among government agencies, meaningful public consultation, data-driven policymaking, strategic digitalization, and targeted reforms in trade and local government processes.
The agenda includes cross-border trade facilitation, regulatory sandboxes for emerging technologies, one-stop government portals and regulatory impact assessments designed to evaluate the potential costs and benefits of proposed rules.
However, the push for simplification also faces implementation challenges. Perez urged participating countries to discuss not only successful reforms but also obstacles, including incompatible digital systems and resistance to institutional change.
These hurdles underscore a broader challenge for ASEAN: regulatory reforms must translate into consistent implementation across agencies and jurisdictions to deliver meaningful gains for businesses operating in multiple markets.
While simpler rules can reduce friction and support investment decisions, predictable enforcement, effective oversight and transparent policymaking remain essential to ensuring that efficiency does not come at the expense of public interest.
“Simplification is not just about fixing government paperwork. It is about changing people’s lives,” Perez said, emphasizing that fair, predictable regulations can strengthen public trust while supporting investment flows.
