Urging the Administration to pursue comprehensive, qualitative, and quantitative, efforts to improve the ease of doing business in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Philadelphia, the 5th largest city in the Nation, strives to create an environment conducive to unparalleled business success and job growth; and

WHEREAS, Creating and maintaining an environment that is increasingly favorable to the lawful establishment and operation of local businesses is beneficial to the City’s business and job growth; and

WHEREAS, Fundamental to the premise of such an environment are predictability in process and quality in customer service, as well as rules that protect against abuses to either; and

WHEREAS, Qualitative and quantitative measures exist on how cities can improve regulatory rules for starting a business, permitting, employing workers, taxes and other indices; and

WHEREAS, The utilization of such data can help to establish optimal levels of business service, inclusive of acceptable procedural times, while adequately considering social protections; and

WHEREAS, Studies have found that the best functioning economies boast uncomplicated rules that enable businesses of all sizes and origins to easily establish themselves, grow and hire; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia does not currently rank highly in studies that report on the ease of doing business, and the City would greatly benefit from improving its standing amongst the Nation’s cities in regards to the ease of doing business; and

WHEREAS, These studies reveal that procedural permitting and licensing difficulties, high wage and business taxes and other costs hamper local businesses ability to compete, grow and hire locally; and

WHEREAS, City Council created, empaneled, and authorized a Regulatory Review Committee with a mission to identify archaic, superfluous, and confusing provisions in the Philadelphia Code and in departmental regulations; and

WHEREAS, Recommendations from this, and other, committees have been proffered to clarify and streamline the City’s regulatory environment, and lower the cost of business operation, for the purpose of accelerating the growth of well-paying jobs in Philadelphia while ensuring the safety and well-being of its residents; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia should be committed to ensuring respectful, efficient, timely and cost effective service for ALL business owners who interact with the City; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That City Council urges the Administration to pursue comprehensive qualitative and quantitative efforts to improve the ease of doing business in City of Philadelphia.

End