MANILA, Philippines -- President Aquino has expanded a public-private sector task force in charge of addressing investor issues in a fresh bid to improve the global competitiveness of the Philippines, a senior government official said today.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said that Executive Order (EO) No. 44 signed by Mr. Aquino on June 3, is a step toward enhancing the competitive ranking of the country while strengthening the local industries.

"The government and the business sector have a shared aspiration to jointly address the competitiveness indicators that will affect our international competitiveness ranking and strengthen our industries, agriculture and service sectors, and thereby create more jobs and increase income," said Ochoa.

The executive order renames the Public-Private Sector Task Force on Philippine Competitiveness to National Competitiveness Council (NCC). The council is attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and will report to the Cabinet's Economic Development Cluster.

EO 44 beefs up the NCC with the inclusion of the heads of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Tourism (DOT). Other members are the secretaries of DTI and the Departments of Finance and Education, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, and five representatives from the private sector.

Mr. Aquino deemed it important to include the DOE secretary in the joint panel in view of the rising cost of power that dulls the country's international competitiveness, Ochoa explained.

"The DOT is included in the NCC in recognition of the fact that the development of the tourism industry holds the greatest potential for job creation and generation of additional revenues for the government," said Ochoa.

Under the presidential issuance, the NCC serves as a primary collection point of investor issues that need to be addressed in order to improve international competitiveness in the industry, services and agricultural sectors.

The council is to advise the President on policy matters affecting the competitiveness of the business sector and provide inputs to the Philippine Development Plan, the Philippine Investments Priority Plan and the Philippine Exports Priority Plan.

The DTI secretary is designated chairperson of the NCC with a private sector representative, to be appointed by Mr. Aquino, as co-chairperson. The five representatives from the private sector will have a term of two years.

The DTI-Center for Industrial Competitiveness serves as the NCC Secretariat to be headed by its executive director, with the support of a private sector staff headed by an operations director.

original source: The Philippine STAR