TAX FOR TRAFFIC SOLUTION?

Any proposal for a tax increase to solve traffic congestions in Mero Manila and for the whole country is a weak argument to divert the fact that government backlogs on infrastructures for many decades as the real cause of the problem.

In plain view, imposing an increase for road users tax and raising registration fees on vehicles is a mismatched concept to address the problem.

First of all, the government should admit and apologize that they have failed to serve, and the huge backlog on the infrastructure needs of the country is by their fault.

The growth of the private sector who makes the economy is actually a job well done, while the counterpart government who was unable to answer the demanding growth of the private sector is an embarrassing performance.

Imposing new taxes complicates more our problem, it is not a real-time solution, but rather,
there should be no taxes if we care for the economy.

House Bill 4695 filed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda to increase car registration fees to use revenues collected for public transportation do not represent to be an appropriate answer to the public transportation problem, it only adds more.

Where are the national budgets allocated for public transportation programs of the government? It appears on the proposed bill that we were out of funds for public transportation.

The bill thinks that because of the increased and very expensive car registration fees, people can no longer afford and will be forced to take public transport, a kind of blatant attack on the middle-class and because of that, we will expect reduced cars on public roads significantly.

This bill discriminately disenfranchises ordinary citizens and reserves to the affluents the use of public roads. 

The bill is anti-small and micro-businesses who by their small capitals operate small fleets, and they represent the bulk of our economy will surely be affected.

Much more, ours is a traffic problem, and how come that the idea for the solution to the problem is to tax the people?

Instead of punishing the government for its bad service, it is the people that are punished and not rewarded for their exemplary building of our economy. 

We should liberalize the private sector and encourage them more to speed the growth of our GDP, and the more logistics and mobility of the public,  will certainly result in vibrant commercial activity and spur growth.

On the contrary, we should incentivize the public of lower taxation that their growth, momentum, and speed will result in a better and bigger economy of the country.

Tax cuts in actual will result in a better and stronger economy.


This opinion is in reference to the opinion article as read HERE






  

HANJIN AND THE PHILIPPINE SHIPBUILDING

The recent development on the closure and bankruptcy of Hanjin Heavy industries Construction in the country is something that our government should look into carefully the issues and factors that investors face in the country and learn from those experiences of firms struggling our government's policies on industries critical of technology should be given attention and regard contributory for our national security in general.  

Shipbuilding may benefit the country for transfer of technology that we direly need to become self-reliant and save the much-needed dollars and move the economy.

As a better action, the government should consider the situation as our opportunity for technology transfer through partnerships and investments of the government to enhance our capability for technology.

As of recent, there is information that a non-Chinese firm is interested to take over or buy Hanjin, but unlikely this current debacle is uncertain due to the interest of Chinese wanting to take over the debunk firm. 

It was contentious that a Chinese firm was opposed amid the inclination of the office of the President that likely a Chinese firm was very keen on the facility which is a national security risk hardly debated in the senate floor.

ALSO READ :GOVERNMENT MAY FORGE DEAL WITH HANJIN WHITE KNIGHT BY END OF 2019

THE NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE

We should be very careful with entertaining Chinese investment in the facilities of Subic Bay as it is regarded for the national security of the country,  but rather, the government should look into consideration the possibility that the government itself is very capable of investing on said firm that will bring us to a direction of shipbuilding for our naval capability.

The government should take this opportunity of technology transfer first of all. We had been spending billions of dollars in foreign-made naval vessels for the protection of our national sovereignty, particularly in the south China Sea.

A golden opportunity for the government and the Filipino people to grab technology transfer in shipbuilding. We should reduce our dollar spendings and save the country economically.

We have a very little inventory of naval ships and coast guard vessels to stay protected our archipelagic waters, and the opportunity of shipbuilding under the expertise of the Hanjin Industries is one in the hands for us to engage into immediately and launch our modernization dream.

ECONOMIC.

It is automatic that having shipbuilding in the country with adequate technology is the best for our economy to survive and thrive. We had been spending billions of dollars for foreign acquisitions that are draining our dollar reserves. That shipbuilding locally will save us dramatically these vital reserves. 


this industry will generate employment and a catalyst to sprung technology and modernization of our industries that would increase our exports and minimize importations. Such is a mode to be undertaken in ou economic policies.

The BRI is a trade offensive move by China

We should acknowledge and accept the fact that China created the BRI for her own advantage, use, and purpose, in intent to defeat as well as dominate foreign countries in trade and economy that gives them the edge of becoming the wealthiest in the world which is an unfolding reality in the process.

With that in mind, there are no other countermeasures but to do to protect our country, sovereignty economically and politically against this infiltration and pressures of defeating our country via trade and financial obligations, but rather defend our national interest by this onslaught of trade, predatory loans and dominance by China.

The strategy of loans and infrastructures in wasteful in spendings will possibly amount into our difficulty of paying back, and default afterwards as expectations of this lender is what our leaders must put into serious study this strategy of China but rather of go back and built our own manufacturing strengths as an answer to this kind of relations China offers which must be dealt with by us in contrast.

MANUFACTURING

We need to make alternative sources to greatly increase our manufacturing that would be the ground to fight back our international trade deficiencies. Basically, we must make every product created in the country to be sold abroad to earn foreign currencies as a measure to combat trade deficits.

At the moment we have very low manufacturing capabilities and this is the difficulty that we have right now. Data shows that we import so many products to make meet our domestic consumption, that if we identify our cravings of foreign products that we don't produce locally, we can counter produce them locally and reduce importations of product lines we consumed that would affect the reduction of those consumptions that made us spend foreign currencies.

Manufacturing is only the mean that our country can be freed of political and international foreign pressures and influences. If we can be sustainable and not dependent offshore by finances and loans, there is no fear that we can grow as a nation respected and well recognized. At the moment, we don't manufacture cars viewed as the basic foundation of the modernized economy. Unless we engage in auto manufacturing, trucks, heavy types of equipment, shipbuilding, and more, there is no assurance that we can be self-reliant and sustainable as a nation.

We are very dependent on the importation of foreign cars, trucks, machinery that makes our country and economy run. That dependency will not bring us to a good future because it will make us remained n that situation as a beggar of other countries. we will keep constantly buying abroad, and their supply will be the bargaining point of their influence on us. Rice alone is a basic problem in our importation that creates fear for our food security.

How can be our country be secured if basically, we cannot be self-sustainable mainly for our food security? National security is the topmost problem in this country, and it is the issue that must be the concern of our government, our leaders, and Congress.

DOLLAR EARNING

Foreign currency earning must be the priority of our government, and economic policies should be based on this goal ordering every local product all for dollar earnings.  From agricultural products into high technology goods, our government should implement programs to double down on exports and strictly implement this policy for the sake of foreign reserve accumulation.

CODING AND TRUCK BAN IS ANTI-ECONOMY

It may be regarded as a deception that truck ban and the color coding schemes in our transport system are used to solve congestion and mitigate traffic problems in the metropolis can be deeply seen as a  hoax against needs and realities, and a misstep factor to make our goals for the economy of this nation. It can be viewed as a policy not in entirety serves the purpose of progress and growth aspired, but direction wrongly applied.

Traffic problems may not be blamed in an increased population of cars and trucks but, the low and stagnated growth, improvement of our road network infrastructures and  facilities that the government in many years and decades failed on its obligations in perceiving the future increment and development of commerce, industries of the country that said growth should have been equated by these changes of upward transport sector an obligation of the state to infuse infrastructures in the course.

The constriction, limitation of travels, goods deliveries to consummate deals, transactions, that makes the speed of the economy impeded, blocked by this ant-economy, anti-poor law of ruck bans and color codings that should be re-addressed and put forth favor to commerce, trade, and industries as lead policies of the government, not to incur loss to opportunity of growth. 

Blaming is not a good spirit to put on the table today, but rather, to see the situation as a matter to make of the problem do not create another problem, but get out of the situation and prioritized liberalized growth the country.   The codings and truck bans placed upon people and businesses make the growth of this country slowed down as the truth, and impossibly difficult situation to catch up with the record growth of GDPs of our co-ASEAN countries now exploding away from us is the point that must be on the discussion that would result to a negative assessment of truck bans and codings.

While the speed of commerce is reliant on the speed of production of factories, services, and manufacturing, these growths are only accomplished by an efficient and no-time loss transport sector at any time, that coding and truck bans impede said completion of trade and revenue of businesses and that also is affecting  the government in general.

The use of land vehicles is elemental for the economy and the government taking revenue from the people and commerce should have planned and spent a long time ago infrastructures that will absorb the impact of the growth of the private sector and enjoy the benefits of these liberalized growths unrestrained.

The government failed to construct the needed road networks and remained dull and stagnated for a hundred years of those original infrastructures build and in concept by the Americans serving our current road thoroughfares, that our Architectural and Engineering studies reveal that the city plans and programs created by the Americans for our cities remained unchallenged. The loss of long term goals, appreciation of studies, technologies, and goals for GDP  were reasons why we have not prospered due to these neglect and unimplemented goals that remained in the drawing boards.

It is killing most the small businesses and budding entrepreneurs struggling hard to survive and meet business obligations being hampered by such bans and codings threatening slowdowns of the economy. If there are only freedom and liberalized economic and commercial programs in the country, it would be fantastic for the economy to growth rapidly.

Even big companies are even affected by vehicular bans and codings due to the same delays it costs generally for these big business leaders to facilitate in a period, cycle of their turnarounds of goods furnished, delivered, and sold.

If the government is serious about our economic growth and willing to put forward the interest of the people who conduct transactions daily, it would be significant that the government may recall truck bands and codings all over and create ways to make road networks efficient aside from constructions being planned at the moment.

Codings and truck bans is a denial for people to speed the economic lives of its taxpayers and a denial for the government to incur positive results of its revenue collections made by the accelerated growths the private sectors can make in a day, a week, a month or a year.

We need to advocate for an outright cancellation of Truck bans and color codings in the country as it delays, impedes economic growth. Said program also is anti-poor and anti-small businesses that make the bulk of our economy, that contrary to this policy, tey should be assisted and promoted to let the country incur more growing businesses that will work towards global, more exports, conquer international markets, and mainly f the greater revenue of the government.  

Aside from the road networks now in the drawing boards to solve traffic and road congestion, the experts can still devise at the current to make existing road efficient for routes that would reduce congestion anywhere while said future road infrastructures dreamed once and finally realized.

Note:

This opinion is a partial discussion on the subject, though we have no supported links, references of said editorial, the common knowledge available over information technology is satisfactory. There may be more studies involved regarding this subject, but the general perception of color codings and Truck bans is just the retarding effect to the economy because said measures involve the element of time, distance, and volumes. In short, productivity is the underlying matter where other countries had already leaped of their GDP numbers while ours remained below of them.

Like for example, Indonesia which is regarded to be our co-ASEAN neation member has already reachedtrillion dollar economy, that in comparison we have only 300 billion USD GDP economy today.