New trade chief vows continuity in DTI policies, programs

INCOMING Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez has vowed to continue economic reforms, programs and international trade policies geared for the development of micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs).

“The Department of Trade and Industry is doing a lot of good things and, definitely, all the good programs will have to continue and be enhanced. There will be continuity and a review of programs so we can identify which will be prioritized… We will also fast track certain programs,” Lopez said.

“I’m also willing to retain the undersecretaries but the question is whether they still want the position,” he said.

Based on the mandate of President elect Rodrigo Duterte, Lopez said he would continue to put significant focus on championing the agenda of MSMEs.

“The focus of the incoming President is uplifting the poor and the quality of their lives through entrepreneurship. We will push for these interventions to support the growth of the MSMEs, build a climate conducive to business and innovation, which the DTI has already started,” he said.

“We are brainstorming on intervention plans to create a culture and the mindset of innovation and secure an ecosystem enabling the institutions…For instance, for the retailing industry, we should look at what other programs can help MSME products qualify for mainstream market like malls or groceries,” Lopez said.

The incoming administration, he said, had a list of priority programs that would further boost the agenda of MSMEs. The target was to enhance existing programs such as the Negosyo Centers, shared service facilities, training programs and seminars.

The DTI, under the new administration, will also follow through on initiatives started by the agency, especially on inclusive businesses. Under this model, big businesses can help the MSMEs by incorporating small enterprises in their operations either as a forward linkage or as a supplier.

As for international trade policies, Lopez said he supported fair trade and calibrated liberalization, noting that the government could not back track from its thrust to engage other economies in different preferential trade agreements whether as a regional bloc or bilateral.

“If we back track, we will get left behind the global system. I guess what we want is to be able to maximize these foreign trade agreements so that these will benefit more MSMEs,” he added.