PCCI Lauds PRRD’s SONA’s Focus on ‘Ease of Doing Business’

Officials of the chamber of commerce and industry here expressed gladness of hearing firm statements beneficial to the business sector in President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s State of the Nation Address yesterday, July 23.

Cloyd Velasco, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) region 2, said the signed law on the ‘ease of doing business’ would enable micro-small and medium enterprises to improve further and allow them to contribute to economic growth.

“In facilitating the ease in doing business, our local producers and investors will not only contribute to community development, they will also contribute to jobs generation,” Velasco said.

Velasco also lauded PRRD’s statement on the war on drugs, concerns on human lives, the establishment of a department on disaster management, and ending contractualization.

“His promise to continue the initiatives to ensure peace and security in our country is an advantage for us because it allows us to do business in a safe and peaceful environment,” Velasco said.

On telecommunications, he said the move of the government to allow new major industry player will disturb the current giant telecommunication networks’ monopoly in the industry as it may lower the rates and increase the speed of internet connections which will eventually flourish online business activities, thus allowing high productivity in the nation.

Velasco also supports the call of the President to continue the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law as he believes that the surge in the prices of goods and commodities are not only caused by the TRAIN law but also on the oil price hikes in the world market and the weakening of the peso-dollar exchange rates.

“The government is doing its part to ease the effects of the law. We appreciate the financial grants to the less fortunate as well as the assistance to the transport sector and other interventions of the government,” he added.

In totality, Velasco rated the SONA as very satisfactory and he expects more development programs and projects in the near future. (MDCT/OTB/PIA 2-Cagayan)