AMID the scramble to get a piece of the Export Support Fund (ESF), the government on Thursday said the promised state aid for exporters no longer exists.
“There’s no more money, no funds [for the ESF],” Trade Secretary Jesli Lapus told reporters on the sidelines of the 51st Manila F.A.M.E. International.
Senior Trade Undersecretary Thomas Aquino said Lapus had written the Department of Budget and Management “asking for a little bit more [of the ESF] that can be thrown our way.”
But Malacañang is firm in its decision to realign the unallocated portion of the P1-billion ESF to the government’s disaster prevention, mitigation and recovery, trade officials said.
But they cannot confirm whether the unused amount had been actually realigned to efforts to mitigate the effects of El Niño and the strong typhoons that hit the country last year.
The Department of Trade and Industry earlier said that about P200-million worth of projects had qualified for funding under the ESF, but the Export Development Council (EDC) said only P40.77 million had been released so far.
Aquino said exporters of food and agricultural goods, furniture and furnishings, handicrafts, herbal products, jewelry, among others, were able to avail of the ESF.
Senen Perlada, EDC executive director, told reporters that some industry groups are causing the delay in the release of the funding they requested.
He said the disbursement and reimbursement of funds for projects that have qualified under the ESF involve a “stringent” process, which includes the submission of audited receipts. Some industry groups are unable to fulfill these requirements, hence the delay in the release of the funds allocated to them, he said.
The EDC official said the P100-million joint proposal of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. was “expensive.”
He said EDC wanted to distribute the meager fund to as many projects and as many groups as possible. –BEN ARNOLD O. DE VERA Reporter, Manila Times
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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