VICE President Jejomar Binay on Sunday said the last five years had seen micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs miss opportunities to grow and create more jobs in the country.
He said the MSMEs were concentrated in only five regions: Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
“We need to expand this to the entire country through active government intervention and support,” Binay said.
He said his presidency would foster a business-friendly environment that would allow MSMEs to grow and be profitable.
He said MSMEs needed a political and regulatory environment and a government that would help them solve their problems instead of being part of the problem.
“MSMEs need access to capital and credit as they grow. They need access to markets,” Binay said.
“They need a supply of skilled manpower and they need to learn not only operations and technical skills but core management competencies as well.’’
To speed up the establishment of more MSMEs, Binay said, he would also push for bills designed to expand micro-financing assistance to small businesses.
“If the government just gives 10 percent of the attention it spends in pursuing the BBL [Bangsamoro Basic Law] or 10 percent of the budget of CCT [Conditional Cash Transfer program or dole to the poor], then our MSMEs can be at par with their counterparts in the Apec or Asean,” Binay said.
He said he would push for the allocation of at least 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product to an integrated countrywide infrastructure development program.
“We will build new roads, bridges, ports and airports and upgrade old ones,” Binay said.
“These will provide MSMEs with greater access to markets and extend the benefits of economic growth to the rural areas.”
Binay said his administration would also provide incentives to foreign investors to build key infrastructure and provide alternative sources of energy.