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Saturday, July 15, 2006
Chamber to help improve SMEs
EVEN the private sector is initiating activities that will help improve small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the region.
Lenny Castillo, conference coordinator of the SME center director of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) during the Kapehan sa Royal Mandaya Hotel on Thursday said they had infused capability building as part of their regular annual activity.
"The need is there and the SMEs have to improve on different aspects of doing business," she said.
"We are encouraging the SMEs to participate in the trainings that we are putting up as these are tools where they could learn and gain inputs of upgrading their businesses," she added.
Castillo said while it is true that the SMEs are the engine of the economy, which comprise 96 percent, they however contribute only 30 percent of the economy while 70 percent comes from large enterprises.
Robert Barlis, chief of the Davao City field services division of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI 11) meanwhile said that for two years now SMEs contribution to the economy is at 30 to 40 percent.
He said if it is compared to those in the countries of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the other sub regions, the Philippines still land at the lower portion.
"A lot still has to be done to improve their plight," he said.
However, he said, there are also measures that the government extends to SMEs like the income tax holidays and the granting of tariff and tax incentives.
The local government units, he said already has recognized the need to provide incentives that is why it become their priority on the formulation of such incentive code.
DCCCII chair lawyer Bienvenido Cariaga said that the SMEs, which are major employers especially in the countryside believed that the new wage order specifically the granting of P16 cost of living allowance will help in the retention of the value of the peso.
Cariaga, who represents the management sector at the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB 11), said they are glad of the result of the new wage order even as he said that it is the most decent act that the management could give to the labor sector.
The labor sector on the other hand was disgusted on the result of the wage adjustment as many of them expect that the increase should have been higher.
The labor group had petition for an across the board increase but several sector including management said it is impossible to achieve. (PIA/pdbanzon)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 15, 2006 issue)
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