The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said on Wednesday the Duterte administration may have “overlooked” some of the items on the wish list of reforms the business chamber submitted last year, notably in the areas of information communication technology and ease in doing business. That’s why the PCCI, according to PCCI President George Barcelon, is seeking for a more detailed plan on the administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda.
On the sidelines of the 2017 Sulong Pilipinas, a Philippine Development Forum, the PCCI president said that the private sector would like to hear more details of the administration’s socioeconomic pillars.
“An example is the state of the information and communication technology…here in Metro Manila. There are a lot of progress on making this accessible, but more have to be done to expand the scope,” he said. “Hopefully, at the end of the day, we hear the President…giving us, in response to what have been presented, maybe more detailed plan or timeline for some of the projects,” the PCCI head said.
“What are the areas that you want to prioritize? I do not expect them to do everything at the same time. So how they prioritize and what kind of timeline they would give,” he added.
Barcelon said that among the key areas that were crucial to the economy included infrastructure, human development, and the ease of doing business.
He said the government should also ensure the socioeconomic benefits of infrastructure projects, aside from addressing decongestion in the road.
On enhancing skills of its manpower, the government was urged to spell out its plans to assure implementation of quality education in the K to 12 program.
“What would be the quality of education for the young because that is very important,” Barcelon said.
Moreover, the ease of doing business will attract more investments in the country that create more jobs for its people.
