FDA readies for online permit applications
CEBU CITY — Applications for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses and product registration may be filed online starting September, an official here announced last Monday.
“As part of our Phase 3 of development since our mandated reform within the organization, online registration will be open to the rest of country,” Ms. Pastolero said in a dialogue with Cebu importers and manufacturers last Monday on reforms being implemented by FDA.
Established on Oct. 1 last year, PAIR handles the filing and receiving of registration, licensing and other applications using the integrated application form on the FDA Web site. Among these are the License to Operate (LTO) and Certificate of Product Registration (CPR).
Ms. Pastolero said online processing is a move towards eliminating corruption and streamlining the bureaucratic process.
“Industry leaders will now be able to track the progress of their application process online. We are promising a two-working day guarantee for the processing of requests,” she added.
Food and drink importers and manufacturers on Monday complained that processing of their CPR applications takes nearly four months.
Under FDA’s current delivery standards, approval of the initial CPR takes no more than 88 working days.
In the same event here, Kenneth Hartigan-Go, acting FDA director-general, said that while delay in the approval process is due to manpower constraints, the agency has been working to address this problem.
Data released by the FDA showed 2,286 manufacturers from Central Visayas have applied for CPR and LTO licenses since Feb. 10.
“We at FDA have been implementing a lot of fast-paced reforms in our organization as we look to cut down redundant regulations since the organization’s inception almost 51 years ago,” Mr. Hartigan-Go said.
“We look forward to collaborating and conducting dialogues with business groups to allay their fears on these changes.”
Availability of online registration will coincide with the end of the six-month moratorium on the requirement of CPR for raw materials to be presented to the Bureau of Customs (BoC). An FDA memorandum last Feb. 19 extended the six-month moratorium to Aug. 31. All distributors and importers of raw materials, food ingredients or food additives intended for distribution or for sale should present only an FDA LTO to BoC for release of their products until Aug. 31. After that, such parties will have to present an FDA CPR as well. Validity of the initial CPR will be up to two years while the renewed CPR will be up to five years. — John Paolo G. Bago
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