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LOCAL
exporters announced they will focus on having three
international agreements ratified this year—the
controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership
Agreement (Jpepa), the Korean-Asean Free Trade Agreement
(Kafta), and the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC).
The
Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) said the
other items on their legislative agenda include the
lowering of the cost of doing business; facilitating
trade and investments; improving infrastructure,
transportation and logistics support; promoting good
governance; expanding access to financing; and ensuring
stable raw material supply and sustainable development.
Sergio
Ortiz-Luis, Philexport president, said the industry
associations and chapters belonging to the group have
been advised to submit their inputs and suggestions “on
how we can position our advocacies in these areas.”
“We
shall release the matrix containing the bills next
week,” he said at their second general membership
meeting at the Dusit Nikko Hotel in Makati Thursday.
They are
also concerned with the crafting of the 2008 to 2010
Philippine Export Development Plan, which will be
incorporated in the Medium Term Philippine Development
Plan. “This shall be our guide in the next three years
as we resolutely proceed with building an export
economy.”
While
the Japanese Diet [parliament] has ratified the Jpepa,
the same is still expected to face rough sailing in the
Senate even with Tokyo’s promise not to dump toxic waste
in the
Philippines.
As for
the Kafta, Ortiz-Luis noted that some Asean countries
that have ratified the treaty are already benefiting
from it. “We also expect the Executive branch to submit
our Instrument of Accession to the RKC to the Senate in
the next couple of months, also for ratification.”
The RKC
is the global Customs rule on harmonized and simplified
Customs procedures, processes and practices. Ortiz-Luis
said they hope it would be ratified within the year.
The
other bills that Philexport plans to propose include
amendments to the Charter of the Philippine Ports
Authority and the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. |
