The Philippines has asked the support of French businesses in pursuing important agenda of the Philippines with Europe, the renewal of the European Union Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (EU-GSP+) preferences and the resumption of the negotiation for the Philippines-European Union Free Trade Agreement (PH-EU FTA).
During the roundtable meeting with MEDEF International, a non-profit private-funded organization composed of representatives from French businesses on June 20 , Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual presented the Philippines as an ideal investment destination citing various reforms undertaken by the government: the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises, the amended Public Service Act , the amended Foreign Investments Act and the amended Retail Trade Liberalization Act
Thirteen companies from various sectors such as finance, infrastructure, manufacturing, services, and transportation attended the roundtable meeting and expressed positive outlook toward the opportunities available in the Philippines for French businesses.
In his message, Pascual acknowledged that MEDEF International is instrumental in strengthening trade and investment relations between the Philippines and France.
“Recently, we witnessed the visit organized by MEDEF International for its members in the Philippines, where many of your companies participated. These developments indicate not only the interest and confidence of the French companies in the Philippines but also the strong relationship we enjoy at the business level”, Pascual said.
