Cebu biz group wants P-Noy

to focus on socio-economic problems

By Eli C. Dalumpines

CEBU CITY, July 26 (PIA) – A business group here wanted President Benigno S. Aquino III to focus more on how to improve the country’s social and economic conditions during his second year in office rather than in running after his political opponents.

Filomeno Lim, president of the Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCCI), in a radio interview yesterday morning said, there are still a lot of things to be done to make the lives of Filipinos better and this is where the president should concentrate.

Lim particularly cited the president’s thrust to pursue a public-private partnership which is less burdensome on the part of the government but is expected to have a big impact to the economy. 

Other concerns that the president should give much attention are the problems on education, health and infrastructure, he said. The rest, like prosecuting 
political opponents, are of no value whatsoever, he added.

He informed however, that the business sector has observed a little growth of the economy under the Aquino administration but the one that benefited such growth are the big business groups.

The poor, he said, did not feel the impact of this growth because many are still unemployed.

The government, according to Lim, should help the poor in this respect but he criticized the Pantawid Pamilya Program as a bad idea as it encourages an attitude of dependence.

Instead, the government should provide them with jobs so that they will be able to manage out of their situation by themselves.    

Lim, meanwhile, urged the president to make the courts the venue for his anti-corruption campaign and not in his State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) where it can achieve nothing.

This way, the people will be able to see that the government is dead serious in curbing corruption if those suspected with such act will be charged in court, Lim stressed.(FCR/ECD/PIA 7-Cebu)