Business groups urge Congress to focus on 12 priority bills

MANILA, Philippines – With congressmen preoccupied with Charter change, local and foreign business groups urged lawmakers yesterday to give priority to 12 pieces of legislation, including those that will lower power costs and provide broad access to public records.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Edgardo Lacson said the measures would help the country attract more investors as well as improve competitiveness.

“We feel that time is of the essence as the global economy is expected to improve in the next few years and the country must keep up with other highly competitive global business environments,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Edgardo Lacson said.

PCCI, together with the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC), Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) and the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), presented to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) last June 11 some policy recommendations for consideration by Congress.

The list includes, aside from the Electricity Rate Reduction Act, the creation of the Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Bill, Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives Bill, Free Patent to Residential Lands Bill, Pre-Need Code Bill, the Freedom of Access to Information Bill, Real Estate Investment Trust Bill, Anti-Smuggling Bill, Amendment of the Customs Brokers Act Bill, Uniform Franchise Tax on Distribution Utilities Bill, OECD Tax Compliance Amendment, and the Land Use Bill.

“There were originally 75 items in the list but we cut it down to 12 after subsequent meetings and consultations with business and industry groups,” Lacson said.

The chamber said it is open to dialogue with President Arroyo and with lawmakers on specific policy actions designed to improve the Philippine investment climate.

“We have confidence that we have the capability to steer the country toward becoming a prime investment destination; thus, we need to take advantage of the opportunity to institute economic reforms and implement measures to improve the country’s investment climate,” Lacson added. –Ma. Elisa Osorio, Philippine Star