Traders’ 100-day agenda

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has submitted to President-elect Benigno Aquino III a 100-day economic road map that aims to help the new administration fulfill its own economic agenda.

PCCI president Francis Chua said the road map, still on its first draft, was centered on reforms that the new government needed to institute to improve the country’s investment and business climate.

The reforms mentioned in the draft road map mainly had to do with moving toward a rational fiscal policy, achieving macroeconomic stability and promoting infrastructure development, job creation and reduction in the cost of doing business.

“The administration of President-elect Aquino can consider this a road map to put the economy back on track and accelerate recovery and growth,” Chua said in a statement issued Thursday.

He also assured Aquino of the support of PCCI’s leadership, business associations and members all over the country.

During a post-crisis period such as this, Chua said it was important to implement “transformational policies,” to position the country on a growth trajectory and to improve its competitiveness.

“This is the opportune time for us to push for economic recovery measures that not only embrace but also mainstream the principles of decent work, social dialogue and the participation of stakeholders,” he said, reiterating that PCCI would help the new administration succeed in moving the country forward.

180 nations

Representatives of 180 nations to the International Labor Conference in Geneva have expressed their vote of confidence for Aquino, according to Philippine delegation head Miguel Varela.

He related that his counterparts from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East said they trusted that Aquino’s “moral suasion and goodwill can carry on the needed reforms in the country.”

Since this was the case, he called on his counterparts to come to the country to explore business and investment opportunities here.

Members of the Philippine delegation to the conference assured their foreign counterparts of all the help they would need to facilitate the conduct of trade missions here, he said. –Abigail L. Ho, Philippine Daily Inquirer