Group laments ‘paralysis’ in gov’t projects, programs

The Management Association of the Philippines has urged the Aquino administration to guard against being “too cautious” to the point of not being able to move forward crucial programs and projects that would allow the country to realize its growth goals.

“While we support the ‘daang matuwid’ policy, there has been paralysis and it is time that the government should get more things done. And MAP should help them in executing some projects and initiatives. Integrity is key but focus should be on management execution,” said MAP president Ed Francisco in his speech during the group’s 63rd inaugural meeting Monday.

“We will encourage progress on issues and programs where urgently needed action has not been done. We will bring to the fore the critical need for political will, with greater accountability and transparency, to do what is right and important in moving our country forward,” he said.

In an interview with reporters, Francisco stressed that the government must already get the ball rolling.

“We think we can regain back the momentum. We believe that the country can grow faster. The government has done a lot of the planning and the strategy, so now we just want the government to start [acting on these] already,” he said.

What’s missing now, Francisco added, was implementation of, for example, the various infrastructure projects being offered under the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) program. He noted that while it might take a while before a financial closure, once these were spearheaded and launched, it would create a multiplier effect for the economy.

Meanwhile, Francisco said that MAP, through the National Competitiveness Committee, would continue pushing for five key actions that would bring early wins to enhance the global competitiveness of the country.

According to Francisco, MAP would push for the establishment of a National Branding Council, which would be tasked to establish a compelling Philippine brand that would positively position the Philippines in terms of investment, tourism, export capabilities, credit-worthiness and international diplomacy and relations.

Energy cost, Francisco said, would also have to be addressed as it was among the factors tagged to bring up the cost of doing business in the Philippines.

“If energy cost can be tempered, the Philippines may become the preferred investment destination in the region,” he said.

MAP will also push the government to provide the necessary infrastructure and policies to improve the productivity of priority sectors like agribusiness; tourism; IT enabled services like the BPO; electronics; logistics-enabled products; health, wellness and retirement; manufacturing; and mining.