Policy consistency good for business

THE Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) welcomed the statement of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address on Monday to maintain current macroeconomic policies that will facilitate stable inflation and manage the fiscal environment.

“The President’s major

economic pronouncement should be good for the capital markets as investors are always looking for stability in policies. The commitment of the government to increase infrastructure spending should only be additive to the current high growth that we have been experiencing,” said PSE president and CEO Hans B. Sicat.

The PSE also lauded the statement of the President in pursuing reforms to ensure competitiveness and ease of doing business.

Sicat explained, “In the face of globalization and economic integration, the standards for measuring the competitiveness of our industries must be viewed beyond the country’s economic territory. We need to recognize that certain industries require massive amounts of capital, and options that allow consolidation, and liberalization of foreign ownership restrictions, can improve the competitiveness of these sectors.”

The Exchange looks forward to the results of the review of the implementing guidelines of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

“We hope that the review spearheaded by the Department of Finance will lead to the resolution of the contentious issues that have clearly prevented companies from applying under the REIT law. REITs should unlock the potential not just of the real estate sector, but also various infrastructure projects that are in need of significant funding and critical to the country’s economic growth,” Sicat noted. (PR)