191-B ecozone investments await Palace nod

Some 60 economic zones with combined investments of 191.06 billion still remained pending at the Office of the President. A source said there has been no Malacañang action to proclaim the 60 ecozones already approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). For a PEZA-approved special ecozone to be fully operational, it needs a Proclamation Order from the President.

These pending ecozones include 17 IT centers in Metro Manila.

The source hinted that Malacañang’s inaction on these projects could be largely due to a letter by the Department of Finance to Malacañang last year calling for a moratorium on ecozone proclamation.

Malacañang, however, did not issue any order or memo favoring the DOF Secretary’s recommendation, Presidential Proclamation also on the approved ecozones have come in trickles.

“There has been no official action from the OP... thus, we continue to approve IT center applications in Metro Manila,” the PEZA source said.

IT investors association cannot do away with Metro Manila since it is a prime location, the source added. IT investors will only expand to the provinces after they have set up operation in Metro Manila.

Already, two property consultancy companies have expressed concern on delays in proclamation of PEZA ecozones possibly impacting BPO growth.

The source said that PEZA has discussed with officials from the OP to fast-track the proclamations.