Palace out to get rid of red tape

The government is taking steps to hasten the implementation of its massive infrastructure program by removing red tape and other bottlenecks that threaten to derail the projects.

A new government task force has been created to ensure the smooth implementation of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program to usher in the “golden age of infrastructure” in the next five years, according to a Palace official.

“There is no slowdown in our 'Build, Build, Build' program,” China Jocson, assistant to presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, said during a Palace news conference.

“The President’s economic managers have formed an inter-agency group, the Project Facilitation, Monitoring, and Innovation Task Force composed of the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Finance, and Department of Budget and Management that would address bottlenecks and gaps in infrastructure development,” she said.

Jocson said the government intends to seek and to enhance coordination between public and private sectors

in implementing various infrastructure flagship projects.

“The next five years, as we said, will be the golden age of infrastructure and as we ramp up infrastructure investment, we hope to improve coordination, timing issues and provide solutions to problems during implementation stage of projects,” Jocson said.

Under the “Build, Build, Build” program, the government has proposed 74 flagship programs with an estimated cost of 19 trillion during President Duterte’s term. The projects, which include construction of roads, bridge, flood control systems, airports, mass transit systems, and communication networks aim to promote economic growth and create more jobs for Filipinos.