House think tank lists priority measures

The Congressional Planning and Budget Department (CPBD), the House of Representatives’ think tank, has outlined its proposed priority legislation which it says will help realize the country’s development agenda.

The measures are grouped into five areas: macroeconomic stability, countrywide development, improving governance, political reforms and social development. (Read the CPBD paper.)

CPBD says government must, among others, rationalize fiscal incentives, formulate a land use code, re-engineer the bureaucracy, and legislate population management. The group is also pushing for changing the 1987 Constitution to effect the shift to a unicameral parliamentary system of government, remove its so-called protectionist economic provisions, and create autonomous regions toward federalism.

“The development goal of the country has remained elusive,” the think tank said. “Institutional and governance mechanisms, including the legislative process must focus on the realization of a development agenda to ensure that the benefits redound to the Filipino masses.”

The Senate, meanwhile, has listed its own priority measures for until the yearend. Majority Leader, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, said these include the anti-terrorism bill; amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001; the biofuels bill; amendments to the poll automation law; and restructuring of individual income taxes.

The 2007 national budget is also expected to be transmitted to the Senate from the House of Representatives in November.

The third regular session, the last regular session of the 13th Congress, will adjourn on Feb. 9 next year, for a long break until June 24, for the national elections. It will also be on recess from Sept. 23 to Nov. 5, and from Dec. 23 to Jan. 21. The 13th Congress will adjourn on June 9, 2007.

Read the House of Representatives’ and the Senate’s accomplishment reports for the first and second regular sessions of the 13th Congress, here and here.

Following are the House-CPBD’s proposed priority legislative agenda:

Macroeconomic stability

Strengthening anti-smuggling strategies
Rationalizing fiscal incentives
Removing automatic guarantees to GOCCs
Creating a Central Appraisal Authority
Amending the Bases Conversion and Development Act
Corporate Recovery Act
Pre-Need Code of the Philippines
Personal Equity Retirement Account

Countrywide Development

Amending the Build-Operate-Transfer Law
National Land Use Code
Farmland as collateral
Water Resources Management Act

Improving Governance

Re-engineering the bureaucracy
Deputizing private lawyers to act as prosecutors on behalf of the Ombudsman

Political Reforms

Campaign Finance Act
Ensuring automation of electoral process
Amending the 1987 Constitution

Social Development

Pre-School Development Act
Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act
Ameding the law on Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE)