Manila: Calls are growing stronger for the government to reform the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and drive a privatization programme to resuscitate much of the neglected terminal infrastructure across the archipelago. Around 100 ports in the Philippines are state-owned with many falling into disrepair.
Members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) have asked the Department of Transportation and Communications to amend the PPA charter and leave the agency only with its regulatory function. “An amended PPA charter will signal to investors that they can expect fair competition in developing and operating ports,” said PCCI president Miguel Varela. “A level playing field will be an incentive for large infrastructure projects because investors will feel predictability in their operations if the government regulator is not a competing developer of ports at the same time.”
They also asked the DOTC to privatize the ports under the PPA. In 2010, the PPA said it would privatize at least five state-controlled ports as part of the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) program. This process has been delayed. [30/07/13]
