Malacañang is lobbying Congress to pass several pending administration bills, including the administration’s priority measures meant to institute economic reforms, when lawmakers return to work after an extended Christmas vacation.
“This year the Executive will continue to work very closely with Congress to pursue and ensure the enactment of reform measures, and programs and projects meant to boost and stabilize the economy and boost commerce,” Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said on Sunday.
Coloma added the Palace is also seeking early approval by both the Senate and the House of administration bills aimed at expanding the coverage of social-protection measures in education, health and shelter, as well as boost national security.
He quoted Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Manuel Mamba as saying that Malacañang is expecting to see the enactment of “no less than 18 of 29” pending bills in the priority legislative agenda the President endorsed to Congress last year. These bills are expected to be approved this year.
The two chambers of Congress are set to reconvene regular sessions on January 19 and, on top of the list of urgent measures, the Palace wants passed sooner than other pending bills the proposed Bangsamoro basic law, which will pave the way for a new entity to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Also high on the list is President Aquino’s request for special authority to address a looming power-supply shortage anticipated to trigger recurrent brownouts in Luzon this summer.
“One of these bills is the proposed Bangsamoro basic law that will give way for the creation of the Bangsamoro Transitional Assembly before the election of officials of the Bangsamoro Political Entity in 2015,” Coloma said.
Coloma added that, according to Mamba, the important proposed economic measures are the Build-Operate-Transfer and Road Right-of-Way for infrastructure projects and the Cabotage law for shipping industry.
The communications chief said the government also eyes the passage of the Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives, Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime, Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act, Antitrust Act, National Land Use Act and the Strategic Trade Management Act.
“Also included in the priority bills are the Customs Modernization Act, to continue the programs under the fiscal reform package, and the PLLO said some issues are already being scrutinized at the interagency level,” Coloma said.
To further improve the national security and maritime zone, Coloma said the government is also pushing for the passage of the designation of the Philippine maritime zone, designation of archipelagic sea lanes and delineation of specific forest limits of public domain.
”The government also wants to strengthen the justice system through the passage of the Whistle-blowers Protection Act and the Witness Protection Program,” Coloma added.
Also included in the priority list, he said, are the Act Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Freedom of Information Act, and a proposed proclamation to make alienable and disposable some parts of the Bantayan Island in Cebu province.
“It will be used as resettlement site for housing projects for the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda [international code name Haiyan],” Coloma added.
Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to make landfall in the Visayas on November 8, 2013, had left over a million families homeless and over 6,000 people dead.
with PNA
Source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/palace-identifies-priority-bills-for-2015/
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