Employers ‘sick and tired’ of gov’t bickering, want reforms

By Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star), Oct 9, 2017

MANILA, Philippines — Employers want more concrete developments and reforms to make the country a more attractive investment destination and are fed up with the bickering in government.

Donald Dee, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said the consequences of failures of previous administrations persist and are deeply frustrating investors.

“Signaling is a very important component of investments. Right now, it’s not that they are not focusing on TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act) or on Build Build Build. It’s just that they don’t talk about it. What we are only hearing are their fights. I mean that should stop,” Dee said.

“That’s why we are saying enough of this fighting, of this politics. We’re sick and tired of that. We don’t want any of that because it’s so frustrating. Give us some confidence that we are going to invest on a long-term investment now,” he added.

Dee challenged the government to start the infrastructure projects right away because further delays may mean they will no longer materialize.

“Twenty months just to get it on the ground. Twenty months, that’s (almost) two years. After two years you think the present government would still have the appetite to push it? They’re on their way out. I mean it’s quite vague. It is either they don’t do it or they do it now,” he said.

Dee said employers’ sentiment on the current administration remains positive, but government priorities need to be realigned.

“It’s the focusing. We’re fully supportive but we’re asking, please give us something so that we can convince the investors because now there is nothing we can hold on to,” he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, has also called on the Duterte administration to focus on delivering projects instead of letting itself get sidetracked by politics.

The PCCI, which is set to hold by the middle of the month its 43rd Philippine Business Conference (PBC) and Expo where it would submit a set of resolutions to President Duterte, said it hopes that through the PBC, they will be able “to help government focus on its deliverables and not be sidetracked by politics and other disturbing news.”