Three major business groups asked President Rodrigo Duterte to endorse the fast approval of key economic policies and address issues confronting exporters, employers and the business community on the eve of his final State of the National Address Monday.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., in a joint letter addressed to the President, sought the inclusion of several recommendations touted to improve business environment in the country.
Among these legislative measures are the Public Services Act amendments, Open Access in Data Transmission Act, amendments to the Magna Carta for MSMEs, PhilPorts Act, Warehouse Receipts Act, Apprenticeship Training System Act, amendment to the Dual Training System Act of 1984 and amendments to the Agri-Agra Law.
They also pushed for Free Index-based Agricultural Insurance, amendments to the ASIN Law, Customs Amnesty Act, National Quality Infrastructure Act, P3: Microfinancing for Micro-Entrepreneurs, amendments to the FDA Act, Sustainable Forest Management Act, National Land Use and Management Act, Department of Disaster Resilience and Department of Water.
The groups also called on the Department of Finance to fund the implementation and maintenance of TradeNet; facilitate the implementation of the ATA Carnet System; and prioritize the construction of farm-to-market infrastructures.
They also sought the continued vaccination of economic frontliners and to set-up quarantine facilities in every barangay and the full computerization of the Food and Drug Administration for swift processing of licenses.
As part of ease of doing business, the groups asked to Department of Interior and Local Government to attend to pending issues on PNP-regulated chemicals and with the Department of Trade and Industry to allocate more export promotion funds to help exporters recover rapidly from the crisis.
Competitive pricing by utility companies was another recommendation by the group including flexibilities in dealing with calamities and health issues to sustain business and jobs.
The groups also called on the Inter-Agency on Emerging Infectious Diseases to include private groups in the formulation of specific guidelines on quarantine policies and protocols.
“We are confident that these measures, if expeditiously enacted, will certainly help in the joint government and private sector objectives of recovery towards higher and sustained economic performance,” the groups said.
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