The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council Executive Committee (Ledac-Execom) identified the conversion of the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice into tariff and 12 other bills as measures that the President must certify as urgent.
According to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), the Ledac-Execom’s list
includes the proposed Unified National Identification System Act; Security of Tenure Bill (end of contractualization); utilization of the coconut-levy fund; National Transport Act to address transport traffic crisis; Budget Reform Act; National Land Use Act; and Rightsizing of the National Government.
Also tagged as requiring urgent certification were the Amendments to the Anti-Cybercrime Act; Amendments to the NIA Charter to provide free irrigation; Amendment to Public Service Act; Ease of Doing Business Act/Fast Business Permit Act; and Government Procurement Reform
Act amendments.
“By identifying them as urgent we mean that we would want them passed into law possibly within the year,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said after the first Ledac-Execom meeting under the Duterte administration.
Pernia said Malacañang’s certification is “crucial”, particularly for a bill which seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) 8178,or the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996
Amending the RA 8178, is needed to meet the Philippines’s obligations to the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly in tariffying the country’s QR on rice. Manila’s waiver to extend the special treatment on rice expired on June 30.
He said earnings from tariffying rice import caps will also be used to improve the productivity of farmers and the agriculture sector—as specified in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, which aims to expand economic opportunities in agriculture.
“We need rice tariffication because the QR allowed by the WTO already ended. This is to prevent uncertainty as to what the demands of WTO members will be following the lapse of the QR,” Pernia said.
The Neda chief said the Ledac-Execom also “strongly” endorsed the passage of the tax-reform bill, which was already certified as urgent by President Duterte in May.
The 13 bills are part of the 28 measures included in the proposed Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) reviewed and vetted by the
Neda-Ledac Secretariat, for final approval of the council.
The CLA consists of measures which were prioritized based on the President’s Legislative Agenda (PLA) and the Common Legislative Priorities of Congress (CLPC).
The Ledac-Execom comprises the leaders of both chambers of Congress, the executive secretary, the socioeconomic planning secretary as overall head of the Ledac Secretariat and the presidential legislative
adviser. It convenes council meetings and allows opportunities to expeditiously address issues
and concerns relating to priority Legislative measures.
The Executive committee also serves as a venue to discuss other measures proposed for inclusion in the CLA. The Ledac-Execom meets as often as may be necessary.
The Ledac is an interagency consultative and advisory body to the President on economic and development matters to integrate the Legislative agenda with the national development plan.
The council is composed of
high-level officials from the government’s Executive and Legislative branches, with representatives from the private sector, youth and local government units.
RA 7640 provides that the Ledac shall meet at least once every quarter but it may be convened by the President for special meetings as may be necessary.