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Sunday, January 06, 2008
DOE vows successful energy summit this time
MANILA -- Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes guaranteed that the coming energy summit will not fall into the list of failed government summits.
He said his department is already making plans to make sure the summit, which is likely to be held late January or early February, will include all concerned sectors.
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"We're planning it right now. We need to treat this with comprehensiveness and depth. We want a more substantive, really productive summit. It's hard to hold a summit just for the sake of holding a summit," he said.
According to Reyes, the summit will tackle all suggestions from all fronts, including suggestions to scrap or suspend the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on oil products.
He said they are planning to invite representatives from the oil industry, non-government organizations (NGOs), transport sector, consuming public and agencies implementing concerned programs.
Experts and members of the academe will also be involved in the summit. He said they will submit their recommendations to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Reyes added that they are also looking for a venue that will accommodate a large number of stakeholders.
"The entire landscape is littered with failed summits. We don't want to be an addition to the list of failed summits," he said.
President Arroyo ordered Reyes on Friday to hold the summit after world prices of oil peaked at US$100 a barrel.
"We will have workshops, identification of the problem, proposed solutions, road maps, then consolidate them and submit on the last day of the summit to the president for her consideration," the energy secretary said. (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (January 6, 2008 issue)
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