The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry will propose 12 resolutions to the current and incoming administrations to improve the business and economic conditions in the Philippines.
The PCCI agreed to submit the set of resolution during the two-day 41st Philippine Business Conference and Expo in hopes they will be adopted by Malacañang.
It identified specific areas of reforms in areas that the country needs—legislative, energy, environment, industry, education, logistics, transportation infrastructure, information and communication technology and services, intellectual property, capital market small and medium enterprises development and taxation.
The two-day 41st Philippine Business Conference will be held on October 26 to 27, 2015 at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.
The group called for the enactment of several bills such as customs modernization and tariff, electricity rate reduction, income tax reform, the use of incinerators for waste management and the creation the of Information and Communication Technology Department, among others.
The PCCI recommended more public discussions on the competitive selection process along with the objectives of the electric power industry reform act to establish a reasonable electricity rate.
Resolutions on the environment call for reviewing the implementation of the Ecological Waste Management Act and and proposing water conserving initiatives, like rain water harvesting facilities in municipalities and building designs.
The group proposed the creation of an inter-agency task force headed by a Cabinet official to assess regulations and programs to improve doing business in the Philippines.
It recommended the K to 12 program of the Education Department and the adoption of technical or vocational courses by more schools as well as the dual training program in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Labor and Science Departments.
On logistics, PCCI members advocated a shift in cargo traffic from Manila ports to Subic and Batangas to prevent another traffic congestion.
The business group recommended the creation of a multi-airport at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark and a future airport to serve the country’s current and prospective aviation requirements.
It urged the Trade Department to speed up the e-Commerce roadmap and the Intellectual Property Office Philippines to sign an agreement on the IP Depot Initiative, a digital platform where IP owners can promote their assets for potential commercialization.
For SME development, the group proposed increased budget for the Food and Drug Authority to enable it to employ more technical people and acquire additional equipment for more efficient application processes.