‘Gov’t anti-corruption efforts improved Phl doing business ranking’

President Duterte’s vigorous efforts to stamp out corruption and red tape as well as the approval of the Ease of Doing Business Act by Congress have led to the Philippines’ remarkable performance in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report, a Malacañang official said yesterday.

“We attribute the improvement in the

Philippines’ ranking (to) broad regulatory reforms such as the Ease of Doing Business Act signed by the President over a year ago,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Martin Andanar said.

In the WB report, the Philippines leaped to the top 50 of the 190 countries surveyed – from 124th to 95th . The country used to belong only to the lowest 35 percent of the ranking.

The Philippines’ improvement is the third fastest among the countries covered, and the highest among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“We thank all government line agencies, state-owned corporations, other branches of government, even down to the local level, for adamantly carrying out the President’s directive,” Andanar said.

“We expect even better results in the coming years as the government remains committed to give the Filipino people an easier and more comfortable life, thanks to the President’s strong political will to undertake these landmark reforms,” the PCOO chief added.

For House leaders, the significant improvement in the Ease of Doing Business in the country is proof the Duterte administration is on the right track in its reform measures.

“We are definitely getting there surely and quickly – bureaucratic reforms and structural reforms fueled by the political will and unified administration are keys to this great achievement,” Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said.

“We give the President due credit for his resolute determination to prepare a national business landscape that will enable growth for generations to come,” Salceda said.

“Reforms are now gaining traction that would thrust the Philippines into a more competitive economy,” he added.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said the development “is a big boost to our quest for more foreign and domestic investments.”

“This signifies the business community’s confidence in the structural reforms being implemented by the Duterte administration to propel our economy to greater heights,” he said.

“The improvement in our worldwide ranking will definitely lead to more investments, which translate to more jobs for our people,” the Leyte lawmaker said.

“Hopefully, these jobs will not benefit only the urban areas, but also the rural communities in far-flung villages,” he said.

Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo lauded the administration for making easing business processes a priority. Credit should also be given to lawmakers, she said, for passing Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

An economist by profession, the neophyte lawmaker noted that Manila “stayed ahead” of Asian neighbors Cambodia (144) and Lao PDR (154). “Still, our current rank leaves much to be desired,” she pointed out.