The business community would like to hear President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lay down his plans over the next six years of his administration, particularly on specific issues such as-- digitalization, jobs creation and ease of doing business -- during his first State of the Nation Address on July 25.
“Investors are now eager to know what the administration will do over the next six years. Foreign investors are all ears. It is also a good opportunity for the President to lay down his plans,” said Perry Ferrer, vice-president for industry of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
PCCI is also preparing a set of Wish List that they would like Malacanang to act on during the first 100 days of the new President in Malacanang.
PCCI President George Barcelon stressed that Marcos should lay down his plans on jobs generation and further improvement on the ease of doing business in the country.
Ferrer also said that the President should address digitalization of the Philippines stressing this will put parity for micro small and medium enterprises, especially those in the outlying areas, and improve the country’s educational system.
PCCI, which is also hosting the 48th Philippine Business Conference (PBC) where the President will respond to the PBC List of Recommendations on economic issues, stressed the private sector’s readiness for collaboration with the government.
“The primary message we wish to convey in the 48th PBC is quite simple and straightforward: the Philippines is ready and open for business,” said Ferrer.
The PBC aims to jumpstart the needed cooperation between the Philippine government and the private sector to facilitate the reforms and gain business acceptance of programs to be implemented in the next six years.
Already, PCCI has listed issues that need urgent attention to help businesses and to bolster recovery.
First on the long list of needs are the enabling and capacitating policies for the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Second, massive investments in infrastructure. Third, programs to further strengthen fiscal resilience to continue the expansion of then Pres. Duterte’s centerpiece program of Build, Build, Build and other social services. Fourth, intensifying the automation and digitalization of government's services and fifth, making the country business friendly to encourage more foreign and local investments.
Ferrer said the PBC will serve as a venue for presenting the new government’s vision and thrust under the Philippine Development Plan, for gathering private sector feedback, and for generating commitment on critical items in the PDP.
“The PBC is all about going into the nitty gritty of the economic state of the Philippines, especially with the presence of high-level economic stakeholders.
“One could say that the discourse and conversations that will fill up Manila Hotel’s ballroom will be the true essence of the business conference,” he said.
This year’s PBC will also hear the long term plans of the new Secretaries of the Cabinet Economic and Infrastructure Clusters with their private sector counterparts as panelists, local and international business leaders, international speakers from major trading partners, industry captains, and development partners.
With the event program that we’ve carefully designed and the excellent roster of speakers we’ve identified, we hope for the whirlwind success of the two-day conference.
“I wish to reiterate PCCI’s commitment to actively collaborate with the Marcos administration. The weight of boosting the economy shall not be carried solely by the government, the business community will be its trusted anchor to keep the Philippine economy afloat as we always have been,” said Ferrer.