Sep 142016
 

TWELVE infrastructure projects costing at least P265.31 billion are in different stages of procurement under a public-private partnership scheme, including the operation and maintenance of Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) and five regional airports, an official of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines said on Wednesday.

Sep 142016
 

INVESTOR worries over the Duterte government’s political, diplomatic and economic policy have been exacerbated by the souring relations between the Philippines and the US, with financial markets negatively responding to the unfolding diplomatic drama, an economist at ING Bank N.V. Manila said.

Aug 032016
 

On July 25, President Rodrigo R. Duterte delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) as the 16th President of the Philippines, focusing on improved government services, tax reform, transportation, tourism and agriculture, and economic development, among others. Taking up the SONA agenda, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol has said that he is tasked with accomplishing two things — to ensure that sufficient food for Filipinos; and to stop corruption within the agency. These objectives may be achieved with the help of Republic Act (RA) No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, signed by former President Benigno S. C. Aquino III on May 23, which primarily aims to boost the productivity of the agricultural sector and protect Filipino farmers and agricultural enterprises from illegal traders and importers.

Jul 062016
 

To keep up with the changes of enhanced international trade and automated import-export procedures, Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) was signed into law on May 30, 2016. It took effect on June 16, 2016. The CMTA was Drafted bearing in mind the provisions of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), to which the Philippines is a signatory. The RKC or the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures is widely regarded as the blueprint for modern and efficient customs procedures. In the simplest terms, it is the international standard for making customs regulatory procedures as efficient as possible.