CEBU, Philippines — The European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) is reiterating its call to the Philippine government for immediate passage of some bills and necessary policies to improve competitiveness particularly in these critical times.
ECCP president Lars Wittig said in a virtual press briefing held recently that the amendments to the Foreign Investments Act, Public Service Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, are crucial to the country’s recovery efforts.
According to Wittig, ECCP believes that the passage of the aforementioned bills will increase the country’s global competitiveness and usher in Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), which will facilitate economic growth and generate jobs ultimately contributing to the recovery of the country from the pandemic.
Over the years, stakeholders of the Philippine logistics services sector have experienced high shipping costs, excessive and unnecessary fees, and surcharges imposed as origin and destination charges, among others. These charges have negatively affected the economy and have adversely impacted the competitiveness of local industries and are estimated to cost the Philippine economy about USD 2 to 5 billion per year, Wittig stressed.
Given the complex issue of plastic pollution, the ECCP calls for the adoption of a tailor-fit approach based on thorough scientific studies and constructive dialogue with the industry instead of the unitary sweeping ban of plastics especially without the presence of affordable, viable alternatives.
The ECCP also continues to strongly advocate for the imposition of an Extender Producer’s Responsibility (EPR) scheme for single-use plastics in line with their commitment to finding an optimal solution to the plastic waste problem.
Under Wittig’s leadership, the ECCP remains committed to further strengthening the economic ties of the European-Business community.