Visayas business sector drafts resolutions on various sectors

CEBU, Philippines - The business sector in the Visayas has drafted resolutions and recommendations on various aspects that the new administration needs to focus on.

The formal requests, which tackled on power, energy, infrastructure, competitiveness, education and SME (small and medium enterprises) developments, will be forwarded to the newly-installed officials through the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

The resolutions were formulated during the recently concluded 19th Visayas Area Business Conference, held in Cebu which was participated by over 200 business leaders from the Visayas region.

PCCI-Visayas vice president Francis O. Monera said that the resolution emphasized on the region’s need to get enough power supply, and that immediate policies to encourage more energy-related investments is one of the critical need in the region.

The resolution urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue a Department Order requiring the Local Oil companies to sign the Supply and Purchase Agreement as mandated by the Law, that all liquid fuels for motors and engines must contain biofuels produced locally, with the Local Bio-ethanol Investors and Producers qualified under the implementing rules and regulations of the Biofuels Law of 2006.

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III recently announced the appointment of Cebuano Rene Almendras to head the DOE.

DOE and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) are encouraged to intervene in finding solutions to the chromic power shortage problem besetting especially in the province of Negros Occidental.

The resolution likewise requested for another provision to the Renewable Energy Law for the citizen to have means to acquire affordable Renewable Energy Materials of Equipments such as solar panels.

The Visayas business sector emphasized the need for the government led by DOE to give more emphasis on research and development (R&D) in the field of renewable energy.

The group calls for Aquino to direct DOE to take immediate action to address the power situation in Cebu, with emphasis on starting off the WESM (Wholesale Electricity Sport Market) commercial operation in the Visayas.

These and among other specific requests to the DOE were listed in the three-page VABC resolution.

Meanwhile, calls to increase the tariff on imported Bioethanol Fuel to 20 percent were also pushed in order to protect the country’s biofuels industry.

The group also called for the revocation of the new government procurement system, which has created a Single Procurement Unit that centralizes procurement of goods and services for government agencies. The resolution seeks for the reinstallation of the old procurement system, wherein all agencies in the government are allowed to procure their requirements individually.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is also alerted to lower the stripping fees in all PPA ports, as the additional costs can simply be passed on to the consumers.

A request for the rehabilitation of the Panay Railways, the 117-kilometer railway system from Iloilo City to Roxas City, was also directed to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Lastly, the Aquino-led government is also urged to channel a certain percentage of the net revenues of PCSO and PAGCOR to local chambers of commerce to fund their SME Development and Promotion Programs and Services.