Saturday, September 13, 2008 Lack of support from gov't hinders RP electronics
A LOCAL maker of speakers and amplifiers believes the lack of government support for Filipino manufacturers of electronic products is the reason some are not able to expand its businesses and export products.
This has also resulted in stiffer competition with Chinese products coming into the country, said Kenneth Tsang, managing director of Kensonic Inc.
“Here in the country, the government wants to tax everything,” he said.
He said that in Singapore and Hong Kong, tax is not imposed on electronic products so these countries can give competitive prices and easily export to other markets.
“If the government helps, there is a big potential for the local manufacturing industry to export,” he said.
Tsang was in Cebu to hold a one-day product re-orientation among its Cebu-based dealers last Monday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
He said there is a need to do the orientation since the proliferation of the Chinese products have “slightly affected” the company in terms of revenue losses.
“People have to know that we have a better quality,” he said.
Some 350 dealers from Cebu attended the event.
Kensonic is the mother company of Crown speakers and Sakura amplifiers. The company was founded by Tsang’s father who created karaoke speakers in the late 1980s.
Kensonic product lines include mobile speakers, buffles, ceiling-installed speakers, professional musical speakers as well as outdoor speakers used for concerts.
The amplifiers also come in various sizes depending on the use like home entertainment or for a public announcement system.
Four years ago, Kensonic’s sister company Gold Way Digital Equipment, Inc. was established.
Gold Way is the exclusive Philippine distributor of Toshiba LCD TVs.
Although Kensonic has planned to export its products in the future, Tsang said the company wants to dominate the local market first.
Outside Metro Manila, Cebu is its second biggest market catering to the middle and low-end market. (DME)
