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| DTI Asst. Secretary Demphna Du-Naga (2nd from right) receives a certificate of appreciation and token from DTI-6 Asst. Regional Director (extreme left) Ermelinda P. Pollentes, Phil. Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Western Visayas Chapter President Donna Rose Ratilla and RDC VI Regional Investment and Competitiveness Coordinating Committee Chairperson Ma. Luisa Segovia (extreme right). |
The DTI urged local government units to continuously work to improve or maintain their positive performances to enhance competitiveness alongside with micro, small and medium enterprises.
“We should continue to improve our business enabling environment so that our communities continue to become supportive of our national goal of improving our global competitiveness ranking,” DTI Asst. Secretary Demphna Du-Naga told local chief executives and their representatives during the 2nd RDC VI-Western Visayas Recognition Ceremony of Competitive LGUs at The Avenue, Smallville Complex, Mandurriao, Iloilo City on 16 November.
Du-Naga said that the DTI had been assisting the LGUs in streamlining the business permit licensing system to make the process more efficient in the conduct of business, especially with the presence of Negosyo Centers in the LGUs.
She said, however, that the government “cannot do this alone” as there is a need for the support of the private sector partners and most especially the LGUs. “To improve business is among the 10 key points in the President’s socio economic agenda to address income inequality, and improve the quality of life of every Juana and Juan,” Du-Naga added.
“With our concerted efforts, we hope that these efforts will give us the results of better-governed communities where everybody shares the fruits of development — good education, better housing, good infrastructure, improved income, good governance and resiliency amidst challenges,” she said.
The awarding was based on the annual Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index Survey. The index that was developed in 2013 by the National Competitiveness Council and the United States Agency for International Development lists the benchmarks that are used to measure the performance of LGUs in terms of competitiveness. The benchmarks include economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.
The measure of economic dynamism refers to growth of the local economy, cost of doing business and capacity to generate employment among others. Government efficiency, on the other hand, generally means that the government as an institution is not corrupt, it is able to protect and enforce contracts and apply appropriate and reasonable taxation, among others. While, infrastructure refers to the existing road network, health infrastructure, number of public transport vehicles, etc. And, resiliency refers to the capacity of the locality to facilitate business and industries despite the shocks and challenges it experiences.♦
Date of release: 22 November 2018