The country’s largest business groups are poised to submit their legislative agenda to incoming Congress, listing 24 measures that need urgent action from 10 committees.
These are on agriculture and food; civil service, government reorganization and professional regulation; enterprise and privatization/public services; environment, natural resources and climate change/land use; health; labor, employment and human resources development; science and technology; trade, commerce and entrepreneurship; transportation and; ways and means.
In a draft letter to be sent to Congress, leaders of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) urged Congress to consider the 23 bills to be part of the 19th Congress priority agenda saying these measures, if expeditiously enacted, “will significantly help in our common objectives of economic recovery, progress and sustainability.”
The groups noted there had been many delays in pushing for these reforms as government and private sector got sidetracked by the election, disasters and hazards. They also said some policies were implemented with no/insufficient stakeholder consultation, thus affecting them negatively.
The groups urged Congress to continue to build up on health-related programs and policies but balancing this objective with a very clear and strong push to reinvigorate the economy as a way to recover lost jobs, government revenues and family income and livelihood opportunities.
The groups also identified the following as crucial: ease of doing business, skills and education, infrastructure, environment and agri- related bills to help institutionalize reforms and accelerate developments in these sectors.
The 24 measures are in various stages in the past Congress: Free Index-Based Agricultural Insurance; Successful Farmers Development Act amending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law and Livelihood Development Bill; amendments to the Food and Drug Administration Act; PhilPorts Act and Strengthen the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines; creation of the Philippine Airports Development Corp.; Sustainable Forest Management Act; National Land Use and Management Act; amendments to the ASIN Law; Apprenticeship Training System Act; amendments to the Dual Training System Act; amendment to the Philippine Qualifications Framework; Open Access in Data Transmission Act; Better Internet Act; Satellite-Based Technologies for Internet Connectivity Act; amendments to the Magna Carta for MSMEs; National Quality Infrastructure Act; Warehouse Receipts Act; International Maritime Trade Act; amendment to the CREATE Law; Customs Amnesty Act; Package 3 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) on Property Valuation and Assessment and; Package 4 of CTRP on capital income and financial taxes.
The draft letter was signed by George Barcelon, president of PCCI; Edgardo Lacson, chairman of ECOP and; Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of Philexport. Irma Isip
