Gov't to address concerns on power supply, port congestion

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III vowed today to address the concerns of the business sector, especially those on power supply and port congestion.

"This is not the first time we have heard about these matters, and I can assure you that practically all aspects of your resolutions are already being addressed by government," he said during the 40th Philippine Business Conference and Expo held at the Manila Hotel.

On the formulation of an integrated and sustainable energy and power development roadmap, President Aquino said "the efforts to reform the power industry, as embodied in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), is still a work in progress."

"The work will infinitely be faster and more efficient with the cooperation of the business sector," he said.

On port congestion, Aquino said government agencies led by Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras have been working with the private sector to address the problem.

He cited Executive Order 172, which designates the ports of Subic and Batangas as temporary extensions of the Port of Manila in times of congestion and other predicaments.

"Costs were lowered, to incentivize importers to shift to those ports. I understand a 90 percent discount has been given in terms of port charges so that these two ports are more attractive to shippers," he said.