By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, Sept. 18 (PNA) – With the country’s growing economy, Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV has underscored the need for the government to think for the long-term solutions to decongest the Port of Manila.
”The current problem with the Port of Manila, we have no long-long term thinking that in a growing economy, this port is small. We have not put measures to expand it,” Aquino said in a media interview.
Aquino said he is hoping that concerned government agencies would seriously consider building large ports and other infrastructures that would play crucial role for the growing economy.
”We’re growing economy. I believe that we can be a middle-income economy in a decade but that means that our ability to trade needs to be protected also and to be safeguarded. That means a long-term vision to our port infrastructure,” the lawmaker stressed.
He also emphasized that congested port is also one of the reasons for high cost of logistics in the country.
”I think it’s largely accepted already that our cost of logistics or shipping of our products, is higher than a lot of our neighboring countries,” Aquino said.
Recently, Senator Grace Poe filed Senate Resolution 625, directing the proper Senate committees to conduct a comprehensive review on the Cabotage Law.
Last Wednesday, the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship chaired by Aquino has conducted a public hearing on Poe’s resolution which drew support specifically from Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
”The hearing was conducted to check ways on how we can lessen costs of our logistics. I’d like to know specifically if the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) has a study already and how much this measure can lower costs of logistics,” Aquino said.
”If through this measure, if we can lower the cost of logistics even by 5 to 10 percent, that will have an impact on the cost of goods,” he added.
Aquino expressed surprise after learning that it is cheaper to ship products within the country than to send it to another port outside the Philippines. (PNA)