Reforms sought in cooperative movement

The 10 million-strong cooperative movement in the country is urging the government to implement policy and program reforms that will help members cope with economic difficulties.

“We have jointly identified the needs of our members and have pinpointed the necessary initiatives to address them. Now is the time to act decisively,” said Felix Borja, chairman of the Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC).

Borja, also secretary general of the umbrella Cooperative Union of the Philippines (CUP), said more than 3,000 cooperative leaders, mostly general managers, chairpersons and board members of key cooperatives from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are set to hold the 9th National Cooperative Summit starting today to discuss the impact of the global economic crunch on cooperatives.

The summit, dubbed “Cooperatives: Breaking through barriers and beyond,” is held every two years to assess the current state of the cooperative sector and identify solutions to pressing problems jointly with government leaders.

The summit is being held at the Convention Center in Pili, Camarines Sur. It will end on Oct. 25.

Borja said the meeting will define additional interventions to boost “the economic emancipation of marginalized cooperative members.”

Among the sector’s primary concerns, Borja said, are the need to further relax the credit policies, lower the interest rates of government financial institutions (GFIs) for farmers and fishermen, enhance agricultural production, and stop the confusing interpretation by revenue examiners on the tax exemption privileges of cooperatives.

Members will also ask in the summit to resolve the conflict with industry regulators on the implementation of unreasonable credit and savings rules and regulations that threaten the existence and viability of cooperatives.

Borja said additional government incentives are necessary for cooperatives to engage in various services for its members, such as the establishment of cooperative hospitals, pharmacies, schools, transport facilities, gasoline stations and depots, post-agricultural and agricultural processing facilities and marketing outlets.

 Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of Senate committee on cooperative development, will keynote the summit in recognition of his role in pushing for legislative reforms.

The reforms sought by members include the ongoing amendments to the Cooperative Code, the rationalization of electric cooperatives, and amendments to the charter of the Cooperative Development Authority.