The Online Business License Service ( OBLS ) is a one-stop portal for businesspeople to apply for all the necessary Singapore government licenses in an online transaction. This service directs all apps to various government agencies for processing.
The World Bank has placed Singapore first in the Ease of Doing Business Index. The OBLS system contributes to this ranking.
Video Online Business Licensing System
Service Background
The OBLS was first conceived by the Pro-Enterprise Panel, a high-level private sector-public panel headed by the Head of Civil Service, Singapore. The panel receives a lot of business feedback to trim the red tape for easy starting business in Singapore.
Small and medium-sized businesses are the main target of the OBLS project because of their large numbers. This group is generally unhappy with the cost and complexity of the licensing process.
OBLS is also a major project under the Singapore e-Government Action Plan II.
Maps Online Business Licensing System
Coverage
260 business licenses issued by more than 30 government agencies in Singapore can be found at the OBLS. More than 80% of new business in Singapore is served by OBLS without having to visit Government counterparts. The system also offers Update, Updates and Termination services for 65 licenses.
Features
- Find licenses they may need
- Apply to multiple licenses at once using the integrated form
- Update specifically about existing licenses
- Update existing licenses that will expire soon
- Terminate the license you no longer need
- Pay for multiple licenses through a single merge transaction
Achievements
Since October 1, 2005, the average license processing time for all new applications including those not handled by OBLS is reduced from 21 to 8 days as a result of reengineering exercises and OBLS implementation. 85 licenses processed in less than a week. Of these, 43 were processed in less than three days. Based on the cost-benefit analysis conducted on Dec. 31, 2006, the business has benefited from the OBLS project with an estimated cost savings of US $ 27 million (since the launch of trials in January 2004). Cost savings stem from reducing the number of licensing fees, reduced licensing processing time and time savings by entrepreneurs who now do not need to travel and queue physically and complete some application forms requesting similar information. Employers have given OBLS a positive feedback score of 80%.
Awards
OBLS won the following awards:
- UN Public Service Award 2005
- ZDNet Asia Smart50 Award 2006
- Computerworld Honors 2007 program
- MIS Asia IT Excellence Award 2007
OBLS for other Countries
It is widely recognized that countries that have invested in infocomm as a key enabler to change their business environment have reaped tremendous benefits. The success of OBLS in Singapore has attracted the attention of countries that also want to promote a world-class pro-enterprise business environment. Singapore, through the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), has been actively sharing their experiences on government e-Transformation.
References
External links
- https://licences.business.gov.sg/
- http://www2.egov.gov.sg/online_newsletter/issue18/OBLS.htm
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments