CanCham engages in advocacy to improve conditions and policies for national and international business in the Philippines. CanCham engages in advocacy both directly in its own name and as a member of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC). The priorities of and positions taken in such advocacy activities are decided by the governing authorities of CanCham and JFC as applicable.
Current CanCham Priorities
As approved by CanCham Board of Trustees on April 8, 2014.
Sectors:
- Agriculture and Renewable Resources
- Education and Labour Mobility
- Extractive and Non-Renewable Resources
- Finance including Insurance
- Health and Medical Tourism
- ICT including IT-BPM
- Tourism and Hospitality
- Water and Sanitation
Themes:
- Governance and Anti-corruption
JFC Top Priorities for Advocacy
As approved by JFC at its monthly management meeting on July 10, 2014 .
1. Facilitate a major and sustained increase in FDI
- Approve RBH1 amending economic provisions of the Constitution
- Reduce major restrictions in the FINL and liberalize Public Services Act
- Approve competition policy and legislation
- Improve “Ease of Doing Business” and other global rankings in the Philippines
2. Reform judicial sector to be more efficient, objective and predictable
- Enforce court practice and procedures to restrict abuse in use of TROs
- Amend court practice and procedures to limit basis for reconsiderations
- Establish “fast track” arbitration courts/procedures for business disputes
- Ensure regional and local courts are independent of LGU influence
3. Continue and enhance anti-corruption measures
- Approve FOI legislation and expedite completion of IRR
- Expedite trials of public officials and private business persons indicted for corruption
- Urge government to ask all bidders for government contracts to sign Integrity Pledge
- Encourage all members in JFC chambers to sign Integrity Pledge
4. Upgrade airports and seaports to facilitate exports, imports, and tourism
- “Fast track” implementation of a plan to rationalize airports serving Manila
- Expedite construction of dedicated road link between Manila Port and NLEX-SLEX
- Provide incentives for shipping lines to use Batangas and Subic seaports
- Reform customs and immigration procedures at airports and seaports
5. Augment long-term power and water supply-sources (and reduce costs)
- Ensure national interests considered in site-selection as well as local concerns
- Implement EPIRA including open access to improve competition
- Initiate programs to convert solid waste to energy and to recycle wastewater
- Reduce VAT on power for incentivized industries and other public fees and charges
6. Support environmental and socially responsible mining
- Maintain and enforce the existing Mining Act for large scale mining
- Introduce an internationally competitive fiscal regime for large scale mining
- Ensure LGU ordinances respect national mining legislation and policies
- Regulate small-scale mining to comply with national interests and standards
7. Increase opportunities for employment and reduce unemployment
- Focus K-12 education program on areas with potential for employment growth
- Reform the Labor Code to facilitate reallocation in use of human resources
- Ensure a minimum wage level/holidays/leave competitive with ASEAN comparators
- Apply PEZA incentives to domestic investments in the poorest regions
8. Continue to upgrade infrastructure
- Achieve the target of 5% of GDP on public sector infrastructure by 2016
- Implement a strong PPP program to attract more private infrastructure investment
- Prioritize power, air/land/sea transport, farm-to-market road, and water projects
- “Levelize”, simplify, speed-up bidding/procurement procedures and join WTO GPA
