Repair companies file for 495 accreditation renewals in Jan.

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said its Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) received 495 online renewal applications from service and repair enterprises (SREs) in January.

Of the total, the FTEB approved 118 renewals, 23% higher than the 94 approved last year, the DTI said in a statement on Feb. 16.

Presidential Decree No. 1572 and Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines require all SREs to obtain accreditation from the DTI.

“The timely renewal enables SREs to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, keep business information up to date, and retain valid authority to operate,” the DTI said.

Of new SRE registrations, the bureau approved six out of 51 applications in January.

The applications for renewal were submitted through its Integrated Registration and Information System portal.

Accreditations are valid until Dec. 31, and must be renewed by Jan. 31 each year to avoid late fees.

Businesses covered by the accreditation requirement include those engaged in the servicing and repair of motor vehicles, machinery, electronics, electrical systems, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, office machine and data processing equipment, medical and dental equipment, and heavy equipment.

Last year, the DTI inspected 408 SREs and issued 201 show-cause orders to entities operating without DTI certification. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz