PCCI sending trade mission to Indonesia

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), with affiliated chambers in Mindanao, is sending a trade mission to Indonesia in October to expand the list of goods that can be shipped through the roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) project to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The PCCI, in a statement, said a trade mission is being organized by the PCCI with its affiliated chambers in the cities of Davao, General Santos and Sarangani bound for Manado in North Sulawesi in Indonesia in October to expand the list of products to be shipped along the Celebes Sea corridor under the Ro-Ro project.

This, as PCCI president Miguel Varela said small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in both the Philippines and Indonesia have been positioning for the declaration by the Indonesian central government of Bitung town in Manado as an international port.

The PCCI said the declaration of Bitung as an international port is awaiting the approval of the central Indonesian government.

In April, the PCCI with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council launched the Davao-General Santos-Bitung Ro-Ro project.

The project was introduced to increase trade and investments, as well as promote greater connectivity in the region.

“The bilateral trade between Mindanao and Manado will grow faster when Bitung, as an international port, deletes certain products in its negative list,” Varela said.

“These deleted products are then treated as ASEAN-originated products exempted from customs duties and subjected to zero-tariffs,” he added.

He also said SMEs are expected to benefit from the declaration of Bitung as an international port since it would SMEs them to save on shipping costs, noting the shorter time for transporting goods.

“Cargoes from Davao would ship straight instead of being sent first to Manila then to Singapore then to Jakarta and then to Bitung,” he said.

 â€œMoney is also not locked in inventories, reducing borrowing costs. And then there is the opportunity to begin other profitable business relationships,” he said further.

Earlier, PCCI vice chairman Donald Dee said the PCCI is looking at introducing new routes for the roll-on roll-off vessel to promote greater connectivity in the Southeast Asian region.

He said one of the routes being eyed would be from Batangas to China and then Vietnam.