THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has called on the government to ensure food security, help businesses adapt to the new normal and make easier access to loans for small businesses.
The country’s biggest business group noted that these are critical in reviving the business activity as most parts of the country are currently placed under lockdown.
The PCCI said that once the economic activity is back to normal, the government should focus on the domestic market by rehabilitating transport infrastructure, prioritizing manufacturing and agriculture supply chains and ensuring stable food supply.
“Priority must be given to the development of the agriculture and aquaculture sectors to ensure food security,” the business group said in a statement.
The PCCI also called for more support for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are badly affected by the lockdown.
“Most SMEs do not have the expertise to tap into formal credit facilities and it is in this regard that PCCI renews its call on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, banks and other financing institutions and the Small Business Corp. to simplify the process and make it easier for SMEs to access loans,” the group further said.
The PCCI said leveraging on disruptive technologies is also necessary to help businesses adapt to the new normal.
“A disruption in itself, Covid-19 has shown the importance of disruptive technologies to efficiently and quickly adapt to rapid changes in the business environment,” it said.
SMEs must be equipped to leverage on digital platforms to bridge supply chain gaps.
The chamber also asked the government to eliminate barriers to logistics and include public transport in the list of essential industries.
The group further recommended the partial lifting of the public transport sector ban, and the implementation of a unified cueing and dispatching scheme for public transport.
It also urged the government to implement “mass testing now that more hospitals and rapid mass testing kits have been accredited and local government units have been directed to put up quarantine centers.” (CSL)