Davao businessmen hail public-private partnership measure

DAVAO CITY—The city’s business community hailed as the country’s first in favor of transparency in governance the newly approved public-private partnership (PPP) ordinance.

“The PPP ordinance will promote the practice of transparency,” Ma. Lourdes Monteverde, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI), said during the group’s general membership meeting here on Friday.

Lim said the PPP ordinance would also fuel more growth and development in the city.

The ordinance, passed by the city council on Aug. 23, also created the PPP board, which will review and recommend for approval development projects proposed in the city.

The PPP board consists of the city mayor as chair, the vice mayor as cochair, private sector representatives, heads of relevant committees of the city council, heads of relevant city government offices, and the regional director for Southern Mindanao of the National Economic Development Authority.

Under the ordinance, the city council will take charge of approving projects that cost P200 million and below.

Proposed projects in excess of P200 million had to pass through the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic Development Authority, Monteverde said. Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao