New export development plan up for Duterte approval

MANILA, Philippines — The Economic Development Cluster (EDC) has submitted for President Duterte’s approval a new medium-term export development plan aimed at improving the global competitiveness of the country’s goods and services, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said yesterday.

Chaired by the Department of Finance, the EDC was created to promote  inclusive, sustainable and rapid economic growth. It is comprised of 15 government agencies including NEDA.

The Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2018-2022 is a five-year roadmap aimed at improving business conditions for exporters and exploiting new trade opportunities.

“Our latest exports numbers (April 2018) have not been so good. All products showed negative growth rates, except mineral and forest products, as well as electronics. We expect the PEDP to ramp up our exports, thereby meeting our targets in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA chief Ernesto Pernia.

The PDP 2017-2022 targets a yield of $122 billion to $130.8 billion in revenues from the export of goods and services by 2022.

In 2017, the country’s merchandise exports grew 10.15 percent to $63.2 billion against $57.4 billion in 2016. Top exports were coconut products, sugar products, forest products, mineral products, and electronics.

Pernia said the PEDP 2018-2022 is very much aligned with the PDP, which calls for boosting services exports, increasing the competitiveness of Philippine exports, and exploring new markets for Philippine products.

The first strategy under the new roadmap is to improve the overall climate for export development by removing regulatory impediments, enhancing trade facilitation, and fostering forward and backward linkages.

Another is to exploit existing and prospective opportunities from trading arrangements, and to design comprehensive packages to promote select products and service sectors.

The PEDP also identifies as urgent the passing of the National Quality Infrastructure Bill, which seeks to harmonize product standards and quality accreditation to guide law enforcement on consumer protection and conform to the requirements of the global market.

The PEDP also calls for the strict implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Law, which was signed into law by President Duterte last May 28.

Other government programs the PEDP recommends to boost exports are the following: Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters (RIPPLES Plus) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Agribusiness Support for Promotion and Investment in Regional Expositions (ASPIRE) of the Department of Agriculture, and the National Single Window Program of the Department of Finance, among others.