Duterte wants SRA, Road Board abolished
President Duterte has vowed to abolish the Road Board and the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRA) as part of his efforts to streamline services in government and stop corruption in the agencies.
“I will abolish Road Board and the Sugar Regulatory Board and just place it in an office,” Duterte said in his speech at the closing ceremonies of the 26th Mindanao Business Conference in Cagayan de Oro last night.
Duterte slammed the SRA for having three consultants who get at least P200,000 a month, which the Chief Executive noted is even higher than his salary as president.
He took a potshot against the SRA, although he did not name its head Anna Rosario Paner.
He said he would ask Congress to abolish the two agencies and another one, which he did not mention.
“The guy has three consultants that received P200K… I will ask Congress to abolish them, let Congress decide… Marami akong bagahe eh (I have a lot of baggage),” he said, adding the issue of corruption has derailed his administration’s road to progress and development.
Apart from the two agencies, Duterte has been keen on the need to cut the fat bonuses and allowances of officials of government-owned and controlled corporations.
At the House of Representatives, efforts to look into the Road Board operations were started after some congressmen complained that the agency’s officials have been asking 20 percent commission for every project.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has filed a bill seeking the abolition of the Road Board after it misappropriated P90.7 billion in Road User’s Tax, according to findings of the Commission on Audit.
Alvarez said the Road Board’s functions should be transferred to the Departments of Public Works and Highways and Transportation.
‘Peace, security efforts’
Duterte also said his government is firmly committed to wipe out local terrorists and other groups, especially the Islamic State (IS)-inspired ones, that hinder the government’s peace and security efforts.
Along with improvement of infrastructure and enhancing of connectivity in the region, Duterte said the administration is working hard to improve the produce of farmers and the rest of the agriculture sector.
“To secure Mindanao’s important role as the country’s food basket, government is actively providing assistance with the production of highvalue crops and the development of agricultural products and marketing of its goods, among others,” he added.
He lamented that the government’s efforts to support business, trade and investment “will be in vain if we cannot ensure stability and order as well as secure just and lasting peace in the island.”
Duterte underscored the need to address terrorism, corruption, crime and the drug problem in Mindanao to make it safer and more secure for investors.
“Government is firmly committed to neutralize terrorists and other threat groups that continue to hinder our peace and development efforts, especially IS-inspired which attempted to take over Marawi,” he said.
Duterte assured businessmen in Mindanao that the government would do everything to ensure that Marawi would rise again from the ashes of the conflict.