JFC Statement on the Traffic and Congestion Crisis legislation or the Emergency Powers bill

December 6, 2017

The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) in the Philippines urge the Congress to complete plenary consideration of the Traffic and Congestion Crisis legislation. The responsible committees in both chambers completed their reports some months ago, and their bills are in line to be discussed and approved in plenary. With the completion of the budget and the first tax reform package, the time to pass this important legislation is now.

We are continually reminded of the very difficult traffic situation by the worsening congestion we experience daily during this Christmas month of December. Uber recently released an assessment that Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila have the worst
traffic in Asia. The Boston Consulting Group has just issued a study entitled, “Unlocking Cities,” which warns that “at current vehicle growth levels, Tier III cities (Manila) are at risk of reaching standstill levels of congestion (<10KM/hour) during peak hours by 2022.”

Thus, we urge Congress to complete its legislative procedures and approve the legislation on second and third reading at the earliest possible date, and recommend the president certify the measure as urgent to also speed up its passage.

The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean chambers and PAMURI. We represent over 3,000 member companies engaged in over $100 billion worth of trade in goods and services and some $30 billion worth of investment in the Philippines. The JFC supports and promotes open international trade, increased foreign investment, and improved conditions for business to benefit both the Philippines and the countries the JFC members represent.

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JFC statement on Emergency powers bill