CCCI forms committee to review ecozone bid

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has created a "review committee" to look into the Cebu Economic Development Zone (CEDZ) proposal otherwise known as House Bill No. 1319.

This is to make the proposal attuned to the present administration's thrust, at the same time fitting to the economic movement and political changes that have taken place, said CCCI president Samuel Chioson.

Chioson said CCCI will not withdraw nor pursue at this time the CEDZ proposal, until such time that necessary changes will be made and for it to go through intense review.

He said the chamber is also considering the Department of Finance (DOF) recent announcement to minimize approval of more economic zones in the country, to boost tax revenue collection.

"We are on status-quo about the proposal as of this time. The review committee will scrutinize the details of the bill, and will also examine what are needed to be changed or if there is something the chamber could add," said Chioson during the Cebu Business Month (CBM 2010) thanksgiving night held at the Radisson Hotel.

According to Chioson, the chamber has not set a timeline as to when the review committee will be able to submit their report. Part of the committee is past CCCI president and economist Efren Valiente.

Despite the prompting of at least two Cebuano Congressmen, like Cebu first district Representative Eduardo Gullas and Cebu fifth district Representative Ramon "Red" H. Durano VI, encouraging the chamber to pursue the proposal, CCCI is adopting a very cautious move, studying carefully the political "fabric" of the new set of leaders from the Congress level, up to the Senate.

While the chamber has not actively pushing to re-file the CEDZ proposal as of now, Gullas on the other hand, has went ahead and filed the similar Bill in the Congress the House Bill 91, declaring Cebu province as an economic zone.

"I filed the Bill on the first working day of the 15th Congress on July 1 [2010]. And I commend the help of the business sector in Cebu, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Cebu Business Club for their help in some amendments of the Bill," said Gullas.

Gullas said that he will enlist some Cebuano Congressmen who expressed interest to support the Bill, and may co-author with him in this bid.

Gullas hopes that CCCI will join with him and pursue their plan to re-file the Bill, despite criticisms from other parties.

Likewise, Durano expressed willingness to support the re-filing of the CEDZ in Congress this year, saying this bill can provide good economic future for Cebu province.

Like Gullas, Durano also believes that the Bill, if passed into law will be good for the Cebu province.

The CEDZ is envisioned to be a paradigm of an effective and functioning Public-Private Sector Partnership with the private sector taking the lead and government providing infrastructure and institutional support and contributing part of the needed resources.

The CEDZ could have been the Chamber's greatest achievement in history, as the concept was considered as the most pro-active proposal done by a private sector group so far in the Philippines.

If passed into Law, Cebu will be the first to be declared as province wide economic zone, and one of the few in the world. (FREEMAN)