ANCAR permits will drag down our economic growth

In a briefing on the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Cayetano Paderanga revealed that the Aquino government plans to reduce costs that have repelled a “High Level” of potential foreign investors from setting up businesses in the Philippines because of the usual red tape and high cost of investing in the country. This includes the more serious accusation where business groups bewail the fact that when they have finally set up in the country, all of a sudden they change the rules.

We can only second guess that this is the result of the latest survey that we wrote in this corner a couple of weeks ago that the Philippines ranked second to the last (the last being Brunei) in the survey by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Business Advisory Council. We can only wish Sec. Paderanga lots of luck because this is one problem that did not just suddenly appear. We’ve known about this since Tita Cory took the reins of power from the Marcos dictatorship, where Filipinos were so hopeful that finally, the Philippines have emerged from being called “The Sick Man of Asia.”

In the past years, I have heard so many sob stories how this and that business first looked at the Philippines, but eventually brought their businesses elsewhere because of a warmer business climate. What’s even more painful is the reality that many businesses that are already here have already packed up and left the country as other countries give businesses a better deal than what they could get in the Philippines. Just to name one is FedEx which left Subic Bay Development Authority a couple of years ago.

 With only a few hardy foreign businesses coming to our shores, then we must ask Filipino entrepreneurs to step into that vacuum for the sake of jobs for the Filipino people. More so that so many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) have left their host countries especially from the Middle East.

Yesterday we wrote about the prospect of the Aquino administration putting back the most unwelcome Anti-Carnapping (ANCAR) Permits because it is more than obvious to us that Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has been convinced by the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to place restrictions on vehicles being shipped out of Metro Manila and into the Visayas and Mindanao. With carnapping hugging the headlines a few months back thanks to the gruesome deaths that resulted from this criminal activity, some eager beavers in the HPG wanted the return of the ANCAR permit, which was the norm during the days of the Martial Law regime.

It is more obvious to us that Pres. PNoy has no idea that the ANCAR permit has prevented the economic growth of businesses from the Visayas and Mindanao, simply because a motorist can drive from Region 1 to Region 5 or from Aparri to Matnog without anyone stopping you for an ANCAR clearance. The ANCAR clearance is simply the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) putting a blanket of doubt that all vehicles in this country are considered stolen, until its owners prove otherwise. In my book, the ANCAR permit is one such bureaucracy that prevents and derails our economic growth. Hence, we expect the NEDA Secretary to inform the President that he should not even consider signing the return of the ANCAR permits, as it would result in a massive economic downturn for the Visayas and Mindanao.

 I learned that last week, the return of the ANCAR would have been signed by the President, except that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) refused to join in, hence this meeting was rescheduled. At this point, we hope that not only should NEDA oppose this, but also the Department of Tourism (DoT) because when the ANCAR permits were removed sometime in 1998, it triggered a tourism growth that now includes, Bohol, Leyte and Negros. Under the previous dispensation, it was called “Strong Republic Nautical Highway” the backbone program of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her most successful program for economic development.

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When we wrote that despite the presence of our Commission on Audit, corruption in this country has increased. Hence we believe that in solving this problem, the CoA which is part of the problem should also be part of the solution. Anyway, a reader from Reno, Nevada wrote me this letter.

Hi Bobit, You mentioned about COA, sa amon nga mga Ilonggo, the COA auditors who are in cahoots with the government officials in stealing taxpayers’ money, we call them “mga COAtan!” You have a nice day and more power to your column. O Espanola, Reno. NV. I put his emailed letter here because it was the first time I heard about COAtan. So you COA officials out there better straighten up your acts. After all your salaries are being paid by us, the taxpayers.

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