SWS corruption survey won’t affect investments

BETTER laws and automation of government processes could be among the measures that would curb, if not end, corruption in the public sector, according to business leaders in Cebu.

Ted Locson Jr., head of External Affairs Division of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said he is hopeful that the perception of businessmen on the extent of corruption in government would be changed by existing and proposed laws.

“This will hopefully be addressed by the expanded Anti-Red Tape Act and Ease of Doing Business Act passed by current administration,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Locson was reacting to the recently released Social Weather Stations (SWS) 2016 Enterprise Survey on Corruption which showed that 63 percent of business managers nationwide and 54 percent in Metro Cebu think there is “a lot” of corruption in the government.

He said the chamber has been advocating to all its members to stop corrupt practices in their dealings with different government agencies to help eliminate corruption.

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) Cebu Executive Director Federico Escalona said the only way to end corruption in the public sector is to automate all government processes.

“The less human intervention and contact, (the better),” he said.

He added that it will be helpful to mandate government agencies and institutions to secure quality management systems.

The CCCI is the biggest business organization in Cebu with over 700 members composed of small, medium and large enterprises.

Sought for his comment, Cebu Provincial Investment Promotions Officer Benjamin Joseph Yap said it is the long procedures and processes of the government that daunts businessmen. He believes the SWS survey would not affect the coming in of investments.

“As far sa akoa dili na makit-an hinoon nga naglisod (For me, it does not show that it will be difficult to get investments). I think it’s the number of processes. It’s always a challenge for our investors,” Yap said.

If these procedures and processes would be shortened, many more investors would pour their monies in Cebu. He said this is what they have been working on, tightening procedures to make it simpler and more efficient.

“Because with that man gud atong matangtangan ang taas nga proseso (we can lessen the process) where it is more conducive in doing more business,” Yap added.

“I think (the survey) shows we have room for improvement. It shows na we can improve significantly when it comes to corruption,” Yap added.

Gov. Hilario Davide III is still confident that investments for Cebu would still come in, and those who have already made investments would not pull out.

“Dili man tingale (I don’t think they will pull out). Kita man sad diri (Here in the Capitol too) we try our best through our Investment Promotions Board to create a business climate friendly to investors,” Davide said.

However, Davide admitted that there is still corruption here in Cebu even in the provincial government, but they are trying their best to be transparent in all of the transactions.

“We hear complaints. Even here at Captiol dunay corruption diri (there is corruption). We try our best to be transparent, we try to good governance ,” Davide said.