ABOUT
The Industry Development Group (IDG) builds and grows the domestic industry by establishing international trade policy directions and reforms, including a set of complementary interventions which were implemented to enhance national and sectoral competitiveness in both short-term and medium-to-long term phases.
Under IDG are the following offices:
Board of Investments (BOI)
Bureau of Import Services (BIS)
Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR)
Competitiveness Bureau (CB)
Sector Planning Bureau (SPB) / E-Commerce Office (ECO)
TRADE POLICY
The DTI utilizes an integrated approach to create a more confident trade negotiation agenda, learning from lessons of past trade negotiations. In May 4, 2011, the DTI launched a unified framework towards an integrated industry and trade strategy.
This approach integrates action programs for industry competitiveness and the country’s trade negotiating positions. This rests on three pillars: One is institutionalizing stakeholder engagement in trade policy making – One Country, One Voice; Second is strengthening trade policy research network and capacity building –One Country, One Network; and third is strengthening inter-agency coordination and cooperation - One Country, One Team. These are supported by advocacy and communications initiatives and projects such as the DBFTA or Doing Business in Free Trade Areas. Underpinning the entire framework is industry competitiveness.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
Trade policies are one of the tools used to pursue industry competitiveness. In January 2012, the DTI formally launched the program for the conduct of industry development roadmaps, culminating in a Comprehensive National Industry Strategy. The on-going process of developing industry roadmaps is private sector-driven (i.e. private sector takes the lead in both crafting and driving the action), with the DTI serving as a catalyst, facilitator and an “enabler.” However, government will take the lead in consolidating and integrating the roadmaps into a national strategy—identifying gaps and attracting investments into key projects. A total of 27 industry competitiveness roadmaps are foreseen, along with a Manufacturing industry plan.
Overall, the objectives of the Industry Roadmap Project are to:
Craft and implement industry development roadmaps
Craft and implement a comprehensive national industrial strategy
Institutionalize public-private sector partnership in crafting and executing the roadmaps
Build up capacity of government and industry associations to execute the roadmaps
Develop a more strategic and focused investment promotions plan
The industry strategy will intersect with trade policy and provide a platform for sectoral negotiating positions in pursuit of medium- and long-term competitiveness-based generation of jobs and incomes.
Comprehensive National Industrial Strategy (CNIS)
The Comprehensive National Industrial Strategy (CNIS) will link and integrate manufacturing, agriculture and services; address supply chain gaps; and deepen industry participation in global value chains. Strategic actions include human resource development; SME development; innovation and R&D activities; green industries; aggressive promotion and marketing programs; infrastructure investments to address the high cost of power, logistics and shipping; and streamlining and automation of government procedures and regulations affecting business operations
Ease of Doing Business (EODB)
To complement the policy initiatives of the IDG, efforts to improve the business environment were pursued by simplifying regulatory procedures.
In particular, the DTI reduced the business registration processes through the Nationwide Streamlining of Business Permits and Licensing Systems (BPLS). In 2015, the process took 16 steps and 29 days. In 2016, the process involves 6 steps and 8 days. The BPLS was implemented in 2011 to improve business licensing procedures.
On the regional level, the DTI has initiated the Inter-Agency Business Process Interoperability (IABPI) to streamline and fully automate export and import procedures.
Industrial Policy
Since 2012, the DTI-IDG has focused on a new industrial policy to create more and higher quality jobs and attain sustainable and inclusive growth. Its new industrial policy would enable the country to maximize the trade and investment opportunities from the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and address the challenges arising from it.
Through the new industrial policy, the IDG aims to create the proper environment and strengthen Philippine industries in order for them to become globally competitive. With the private sector as the major driver of growth, the government acts as coordinator and facilitator to implement policies and necessary support measures to address the obstacles to the entry and growth of domestic firms.
Manufacturing Resurgence Program (MRP)
In pursuit of the Philippine government’s goal of achieving inclusive growth, the Department of Trade and Industry is implementing the Manufacturing Resurgence Program (MRP). The MRP aims to rebuild the existing capacity of industries, strengthen new ones, and maintain the competitiveness of industries with comparative advantage. It also seeks to build-up agriculture-based manufacturing industries that generate employment, and support small-holder farmers and agri-cooperatives through product development, value-adding, and integration to big enterprises for marketing and financing purposes.
Stakeholder Consultation
The One Country, One Voice (OCOV) is a trade policy consultation initiative that engages and involves stakeholders—national line agencies, local government units, business support organizations, civil society organizations, and the private sector—in the process of trade policy formulation.
Since 2011, OCOV sessions have been conducted nationwide for consultations with stakeholders on the Code of Consultations itself, on the PJEPA General Review—both sectoral and general sessions, the possible Philippine-European Union (PH-EU) Free Trade Agreement, Philippine-European Free Trade Agreement (PH-EFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the ASEAN – Hong Kong, China FTA (AHKFTA).
