Legislators asked to pass bills supporting export industry

The Export Development Council (EDC) has drafted a list of recommended legislative priorities for the 17th Congress that would help Philippine exporters advance in the international market.

To address transport and logistics concerns, the Networking Committee on Legislative Advocacy and Monitoring of the EDC asked for amendments to the Philippine Ports Authority and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines charters in order to separate the regulatory and operator functions of the agencies. It also asked to repeal Presidential Decree (PD) 1221 that required mandatory dry-docking on Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)-registered shipyards.

On trade financing, EDC said it supported proposed amendments to Republic Act 9501 or the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to include a 10-year extension to a mandatory lending provision contained therein.

Also on the list of EDC is the proposed revision on the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 8172 (Asin Law). EDC cited the need to clarify a provision requiring all producers to iodize the salt they manufacture and trade.

Exporters were also hopeful the proposed Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) would soon be enacted into law. The bill, among others, simplified procedures to lower the cost of doing business.

The country’s export performance was expected to make a rebound within the next two years, with total receipts for both goods and services forecasted to grow by as much as 8.8 percent to $94 billion in 2016 and by 10.6 percent to $104 billion in 2017.

Based on forecasts under the  Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2015-2017, the local export sector will be able to generate some 800,000 to 1.4 million job opportunities this year and another 1.2 million to 1.3 million jobs in 2017.