Gov’t, private sector push long-term infra masterplan
Gov’t, private sector push long-term infra masterplan
The government and the private sector are working towards the creation of a long-term infrastructure masterplan to ensure continuity of implementation of the infra projects in the country that will transcend beyond changes in government leadership.
Isidro A. Consunji, chairman of the Philippine Overseas Construction Board and the country’s leading construction and engineering firm DMCI Holdings, Inc., told reporters at the 4th Philippine Construction Industry Congress, the industry sector is drafting a long-term infra masterplan.
Part of the action plans presented at the Construction Congress include the drafting and filing of a bill calling for a 30Year Long-Term Infrastructure Development Plan.
Consunji lamented the wastage of public money because projects started by one administration were not pursued by the new government because it has different priorities than its predecessor.
“So, we suggest to come up with a long-term infra plan which implementation cannot be affected whoever is the new administration,” he said.
“If there’s a new president, he has a different priority. We are trying to avoid that because that is not a very good way of spending public money,” he stressed.
Consunji further said this long term infra plan was made effective in Australia and other countries.
For his part, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the government will pursue the institutionalization of the Build Build Build (BBB) beyond the Duterte administration to ensure continued infrastructure development in the country.
Lopez said it will be an interagency push to be led by the National Economic and Development Authority for the drafting of a bill that will institutionalize the BBB program.
The bill will seek to determine the exact amount of percentage from the national government budget to be allocated for infrastructure programs.
“The infrastructure may depend on the need by that time so that is part of future planning but there must be a law to guide that,” he said.
Under the Philippine Construction Roadmap 2020-2030, the value of the domestic construction is placed at ₱130 trillion by 2030.