Biz sector reiterates call for gov’t to act on issues

CEBU, Philippines - While the Philippines is generally ready to face regional openness of the ASEAN region next year, the private sector is reiterating its call for the government to address the perennial concerns of the business community.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry  president Alfredo Yap said that while there is already a considerable awareness of the business sector on the entry of the Philippines to a regionwide economy, "admittedly, receptiveness is limited in terms of participation to global network."

The country's business community, he said is still battling against the problems of high cost of power, expensive logistics cost, issues in taxation, bureaucracy in business permit licenses, access to financing, and SMEs proper technological access to technology.

Yap, who was in Cebu recently, said that these are just few and more obvious concerns that give businessmen lesser confidence to play in the bigger business battlefield.

"We acknowledge the openness of the [of the market] under the ASEAN Economic Community, but it can only be achieved if we are provided with complementary support," he said.

Aside from these concerns, Yap said the business sector commits to work hardly in readying the entire business community on the regional integration.

One of the programs that the mother chamber of the country is working double time on is to strongly promote the commitment of Filipino companies to make quality products that could get a strong attention not only in the ASEAN market but the international consumer base as well.

"Proudly Philippine made" is the private sector's commitment as the Philippines will join the other countries in a one economy under the ASEAN.

He also encouraged Filipinos to adopt the pro-Filipino buying culture, to make the Philippines a "star" brand under the ASEAN. In this way, the Philippines will be able to guard its own turf, while the market will be flooded with wider choices of brands under the integration.

In this particular program, he said PCCI is partnering with the government in providing access to technology, niches, and participation in the value chain specifically for the over 90 percent SME players in the country.

He said technological know-how and innovation have never been so important, until today. (FREEMAN)