|
With a mission to sustain national productivity while
mitigating the adverse effects of the global economic slowdown, the
House of Representatives on Saturday vowed to pursue comprehensive
reforms in the country’s economic policies.
”We will strengthen our
economic fundamentals as demanded by the inevitable trend of
globalization,” House Speaker Prospero Nograles
said. Congress is gearing up to deliberate on a “huge array of
economic legislative proposals which have been lined up and are
being made a priority as soon as the second regular session
begins” on July 28.
The Speaker made the assurance
following a summary report by the House Economic Cluster I headed by
Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella.
”Majority Leader Arthur Defensor,
Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, is in constant
consultation with the six Deputy Speakers who are coordinating their
respective committee clusters to ensure the
smooth-sailing of priority bills,” Nograles said.
Defensor said the “cluster
system” introduced by the Speaker “helps us a lot in tracking
down the status of priority measures under deliberation at the
House standing and special committees.”
Fuentebella reported that the
proposed establishment of a Credit Information System under
substitute HB 4260, is now pending in the bicameral conference panel
and could be enacted into law “very soon.”
Expecting approval by the House
plenary by October 2008 is the proposed “Rationalization of Fiscal
Incentives,” which is currently undergoing finalization by a
technical working group (TWG).
Also under TWG deliberation are
proposed amendments to the Tariff and Customs Code, now under
consideration by the Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Rep.
Exequiel Javier. Both Fuentebella and Defensor expect this to pass
plenary by October.
--Sammy Martin
|
