The suspension of pass-through fees will contribute to the ease of doing business and boost the Philippine markets’ export potential, according to a Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) official.
In an ambush interview with the reporters recently, PCCI Foreign Affairs Vice President Ferdinand A. Ferrer said that the suspension of pass-through fees will improve the Philippine exports sector.
“It will improve ease of doing business which the exporters and also the manufacturers dito [in the Philippines], ‘yon ang gusto lang nila [that’s all they want] – ease of doing business,” Ferrer said.
He added that the pass-through fees collected by the national government on national roads, and local government units (LGUs) from all goods-transporting vehicles are also being paid by the local consumers when purchasing products.
“Those pass-through fees, who gets to pay for it? Tayo rin ‘di ‘ba? Tayo ‘yon, pinapasa [It’s passed on to us],” he said.
“Unnecessary fees, most of the time, yung ease of doing business, ‘yon talaga ang gusto nating ayusin [we want to fix it].”
During the PCCI’s press conference for the launch of the 49th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) last Aug. 31, PCCI President George Barcelon urged the government to prioritize four areas including ease of doing business, education, natural resources, and infrastructure, in order to achieve a first-world economy by 2050.
“Let us address the basic issues that turn off investors – reduce red tape and make it easy for investors to register and do business here, allow 100 percent foreign ownership in areas where they want to invest and 100 percent repatriation of their profits, open up agriculture for foreign investments, engage our LGUs and make them more friendly and welcoming to investors,” he said.
Executive Order 41, signed last Sept. 25, forbids the collecting of pass-through fees on public roadways and calls on local governments to forbid any levies on all kinds of goods-transporting vehicles, in accordance with Republic Act No. 7160.