The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is conducting a series of “supra-regional” consultations to develop a blueprint to achieve a sustainable supply chain and efficient logistics services sector (Logistics Services Philippines 2023-2028).
Regions 9, 10 and Caraga comprise the Western Mindanao Cluster (WESTMIN LOG).
The supra-regional consultations are designed to solicit inputs from the government and private sector in the region to improve logistics efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and improve the agri-supply chain.
The activity includes workshops sessions on the following:
Workshop 1: Priority Commodities. The session will select a priority commodity per region that the DTI will focus on identifying the transport and logistics costs and its share to the total price of the product.
Workshop 2: Investment Opportunities. The session will identify the possible investment opportunities in the logistics services sector composed of cold storage, container yard, freight forwarding, trucking, domestic sea shipping, and warehousing.
Workshop 3: Logistics Issues. The session will identify logistics issues and concerns affecting the logistics services sector or those that impede the movement of goods in the regions.
Workshop 4; Logistics Infrastructure. The session will identify logistics infrastructure projects per region that the government should prioritize.
Cagayan de Oro as the regional center strengthens the positioning of Northern Mindanao as a logistics hub. Aside from the DTI, other organizations involved and supporting the event are the Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc.; Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines; Department of Agriculture; Board of Investments; Regional SMED Council 10; USAID RESPOND, and USAID DELIVER.
The USAID-Delivering Effective Government for Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth (DELIVER) is partnering with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) to help boost the country’s competitiveness through trade and investment with focus on capacitating the MSMEs.
The project will support the enhancement and expansion of three of PCCI’s major advocacies: the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), the Agribusiness Support for the Promotion of Regional Enterprises (ASPIRE) and INVESTOUR.
Under the CTRP, PCCI, in partnership with the DOF, will continue its advocacy campaigns on the Comprehensive Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) and on the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PITIFA), and the Real Property Valuation Act.
For ASPIRE and INVESTOUR, USAID-DELIVER’s support will build on the business matching and capacity-building PCCI and partners have started.
Among the activities and deliverables include coming up with a verified database of regional/priority commodities and market, market matching (B2B), capacitating the ASPIRE and INVESTOUR secretariat and putting in place an effective monitoring system. These activities are expected to lead to buyer/seller commitments, market leads and contracts in favor of farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs.
ASPIRE is a collaborative project of PCCI with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It aims to integrate market development support services to farmers, fisherfolks, and agribusiness entrepreneurs. INVESTOUR, on the other hand, is an investment campaign initiated by the PCCI Tourism Committee to attract investments in five strategic areas: Arrival, Access, Accommodations, Attractions and Activities.
Meantime, in response to critical challenges to attracting and facilitating trade and investment, including the quality of utilities and infrastructure, high barriers to entry of new economic players, and complex processes to start and operate businesses, the Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) seeks to improve regulatory quality to enhance competitiveness, and ultimately, contribute to higher levels of investment and trade, inclusive growth, and self-reliance.
RESPOND pursues interventions that enhance market competition and strengthen regulatory capacity and governance.
To advance market competition, RESPOND supports reforms that reduce barriers to entry and reduce regulatory burdens and transaction costs for business.
To strengthen the capacity of public officials to develop and implement quality regulations, RESPOND extends technical assistance that strengthens regulatory oversight, as well as transparency and accountability mechanisms.
As a cross-cutting objective, RESPOND seeks to expand citizen engagement and the participation of civil society organizations to advocate for fair and open regulations and a better business environment.
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