Traders give 9 agencies high marks

MANILA, Philippines—Business executives are seeing government agencies in a brighter light these days, with nine of the agencies receiving their best ratings in an annual survey of business executives, according to a Makati Business Club (MBC) report released on Monday.

The same study, however, said that the executives were not satisfied with the government’s anti-smuggling efforts and tax regime.

President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay also received their best ratings since their respective offices were added to the survey in 2006.

The MBC, which began its annual rating of government agencies in 1993, said in its Second Semester 2012 Executive Outlook Survey (EOS) report that 36 of 53 government agencies and offices, led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance, Department of Tourism, Department of Budget and Management, and Securities and Exchange Commission, received positive net satisfaction scores from senior business executives questioned by the business group from June 19 to July 23, 2012.

The government offices and services that received the lowest net satisfaction scores were the appellate and lower court system, traffic management, Supreme Court, garbage collection and the Philippine National Police.

Last year, only 25 out of 45 government agencies, offices and services received positive net performance ratings in MBC’s EOS.

Highest ratings ever

The following government agencies enjoyed their highest EOS ratings ever: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, with 94.6 percent; Department of Tourism, 81.8 percent; Department of Budget and Management, 70.9 percent; Department of Labor and Employment, 56.3 percent; Senate, 49.1 percent; Department of Public Works and Highways, 30.8 percent; Department of Science and Technology, 27.3 percent; Department of Agrarian Reform, zero percent, and House of Representatives, zero percent.

The net satisfaction scores on the performance of the Office of the Vice President and Office of the President rose to record highs of 58.2 percent and 49.1 percent, respectively. These offices were added to the survey in January 2006.

In terms of ranking, the following government agencies and offices enjoyed the biggest jumps in ranking of net satisfaction scores from 2011: Department of Tourism moved up to No. 2 from No. 32; the Ombudsman, to No. 18 from No. 44; Department of Labor and Employment, to No. 10 from No. 23; Senate, to No. 14 from No. 21, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to No. 25 from No. 30.

Sharp drop in rankings

The following government agencies and offices suffered the sharpest drops in ranking of net satisfaction scores in the second year of the Aquino administration: Commission on Human Rights went down to No. 35 from No. 15; Supreme Court, to No. 51 from No. 34; Department of Justice, to No. 26 from No. 9; Department of Transportation and Communication, to No. 44 from No. 27, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to No. 46 from No. 30.

Smuggling, tax policies

The survey respondents were also asked to share their sentiments on two issues affecting business during the second year of President Aquino’s term.

The executives were asked: “Are you satisfied with the government’s antismuggling efforts?” Close to 71 percent of the respondents said they were not satisfied with the government’s efforts to fight smuggling, while over 27 percent said they were satisfied with the current antismuggling campaign and the remaining 2 percent were silent on the matter.

The respondents were also asked to reply to the question: “Are you satisfied with the government’s tax policies and administration?” The businessmen were equally divided, with 49 percent saying they were satisfied and the other 49 percent saying they were not satisfied. Meanwhile, 2 percent did not share their assessments on the issue.

Finally, survey respondents were asked: “Do you agree with the result of the Corona impeachment trial?” Close to 82 percent said they agreed with the result of the Corona impeachment trial, while 13 percent said they disagreed with the outcome of the process. More than 5 percent did not register their views on the Senate impeachment court’s verdict on the former Chief Magistrate.