The Philippine Automotive Competitiveness Council, Inc. (PACCI) held its 2014 Organizational Meeting on February 7, 2014, determining its new Board of Trustees, electing its Key Officers, and previewing the goals it has set for the year.

“While waiting for the support measures that the Board of Investments (BOI) is preparing for the auto manufacturing industry, we would like to partner with them and other Government Agencies in pursuit of the cross-cutting “horizontal” measures that we have recommended in the Roadmap that we submitted to them,” said Mr. Feliciano L. Torres, PACCI Trustee and newly re-elected PACCI Chairman for 2014. Torres explained that BOI Chairman Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo has been aiming to secure the approval of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board for the BOI package of support measures, within the first quarter 2014.  “We are eagerly awaiting that BOI support package, which the Industry needs.  But in the meantime, it is best to pursue the cross-cutting measures that will serve the entire sector, regardless of the features of the support package.”

Mr. Torres said that the cross-cutting measures are very much supportive of existing Government mandates.  “For example, we would like to achieve some improvement in the operating environment,” he said.  “PACCI’s Technical Committee will be collaborating with the relevant Government Agencies to establish and operate a Whole Vehicle Type Approval Program and to more strictly implement the Motor Vehicle Inspection System,” he said.  PACCI will also be working for improved inter-connectivity among the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and regulatory bodies like the Land Transportation Office to minimize smuggling.  And PACCI will also focus on the management of the Philippines’ tariff regimes, whether in the global Most Favored Nation tariff schedules or under the various Free Trade Agreements.  “We are also pursuing our initiatives related to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), such as a more liberal ASEAN Rules of Origin Self-Certification regime, to be prepared for the more competitive environment under the ASEAN Economic Community.”

PACCI is an Industry Association whose Members are the global brands whose domestic manufacturing operations account for some 85% of all locally-made vehicles – Honda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Toyota.  The fifth Member is MVPMAP, because PACCI believes that vehicle assembly and auto parts manufacturing should be developed hand-in-hand.

PACCI’s newly elected Board and Key Officers are: Mr. Feliciano L. Torres, Trustee and Chairman; Mr. Michinobu Sugata, Trustee and President; Mr. Hikosaburo Shibata, Trustee and Vice-President; Mr. Eddie Jose, Trustee and Treasurer; Mr. Tatsuya Natsume, Trustee; and Mr. Nobuo Izumina, Trustee.