Palace lauds high PH rank in World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday welcomed the Philippines’ “remarkable improvement” in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report, calling it a “vote of confidence” on President Rodrigo Duterte’s drive against red tape and corruption.

The Philippines jumped 29 notches in the World Bank’s annual report, ranking 95th in the 2020 edition from 124th previously.

READ: PH improves in World Bank’s ‘Doing Business Report 2020’

“The latest results of the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report shows a strong vote of confidence towards President Rodrigo Duterte’s no-nonsense approach in wiping out red tape and removing opportunities for corruption,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.

The report showed the Philippines improved in three key areas – starting a business; dealing with construction permits; and protecting minority investors.

Andanar attributed the development from the “broad regulatory reforms such as the Ease of Doing Business Act signed by the President over a year ago.”

“We expect even better results in the coming years as the government remains committed to give the Filipino people an easier and more comfortable life, thanks to the President’s strong political will to undertake these landmark reforms,” he said.

In a separate statement, Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said the improvement in the Philippines’ ranking shows the fulfillment of a campaign promise in 2016 that there will be “no more waiting” in dealing with government offices.

Panelo also urged the public not to “enable or initiate corruption to skirt red tape in their transactions with the government” and instead report any form of irregularity committed by government personnel to 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Hotline, the Presidential Complaint Center, the Anti-Red Tape Authority or to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission./kga