ARMM luring fish canning firms to economic zone

COTABATO CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has offered tax and tariff incentives and other perks to cash-trapped fish canning firms in Zamboanga City for them to operate in the region’s economic zone.

Three fish canning companies, Mega, Universal and Atlantic, all operating in Zamboanga City, have notified the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 9 of their planned "temporary closure" due to the heavy cost of operations.

Chita Cilindro, DOLE’s Western Mindanao director, said the temporary shutdown of the three companies would affect about 4,500 workers.

The first canning firm to shut down in Zamboanga City this year was the Miramar Fish Co., which employed more than a thousand workers.

Lawyer Ishak Mastura, ARMM’s trade and industry secretary, said the financially burdened fish canning firms could transfer to Maguindanao and avail themselves of various investment and tax incentives to hasten their recovery.

The ARMM government, through the Regional Economic Zone Authority (REZA), which was created by the Regional Legislative Assembly, offers not only tariff and tax bonuses, but also marketing representations abroad.

The REZA has jurisdiction over vast tracts of lands in the surroundings of the Polloc international port in Parang, Maguindanao.

Soldiers and policemen from the nearby Camp S.K. Pendatun, the ARMM police headquarters, are securing the port.

"We can help the managements of these fish canning companies build linkages with businessmen in the Middle East and other Muslim countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Conference," Mastura told The STAR.

Mastura said companies operating in the economic zone will be protected by regional and national trade laws.

He said the ARMM’s new governor, Zaldy Ampatuan, is willing to make personal representations with business groups in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines Economic Growth Area, or BIMP-EAGA, to convince them to invest in the fish canning industry which the REZA is eyeing in the economic zone.

"With the help of our new governor, these firms can import machineries with very minimal Customs duties and tariffs. They can even import fuel and lubricants through the REZA to cut heavy expenditures on fuel needed to run their fishing vessels," Mastura said.