Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PCCI head urges biz leaders to invest in roads, infra dev’t
LET us invest in our own country.
This was the call made by Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chairman and special envoy for trade negotiation Donald Dee when he addressed business leaders in General Santos City at the kick-off consultation conferences in updating the country’s rolling export development plan last week.
The call was made after Dee, the private sector’s only trade negotiator, discussed facts and figures showing that the economy has gone on a roll for the past six years despite the few foreign investments the country attracted.
On the part of government, Dee said there is a need to put in place strategic investments in roads networks, seaport modernization and other strategic infrastructure that will spur further growth in farm, industrial and tourism activities.
Open skies
He also called for firm government action in bringing down the cost of electricity and telecommunications and decide, once and for all, to adopt an open skies policy in air transportation.
“The biggest challenge the business community and the economic managers face today is in reversing skid of the country’s ability to compete from number 31 globally in 1996 to number 49 last year,” he said.
Strategy
To be more competitive, he outlined a strategy which a multi-sectoral body, the National Competitiveness Council, has adopted soon after it was organized early this year.
“On top of the strategy must be efforts to produce cheap food for our people and at bringing down electric power costs to P5 per kilowatt hour under the still to be implemented reform law on the electric power industry,” he added.
Since the law was passed, power rates have zoomed up to about P10 per kilowatt hour in Luzon inclusive of taxes.
The government and the private sector must accomplish a competition policy in the domestic front to make local goods equal with other products, stable prices and lending rates, a regime of incentives equal, if not superior to those offered by other countries vying for foreign investments, and better market access for goods. (Phil-export News)
