THE ASEAN-UK Economic Integration Programme (EIP) will pursue regulatory reform projects in the region to better align both economies for enhanced trade and investment flows, the British Embassy in Manila said.
On the sidelines of a news conference on Tuesday, British Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Alistair White told reporters that the EIP, with 25 million pounds in funding, will consist in the Philippines of “partnerships and programs with the government over the next months and years.”
He said the specifics of the program are still being determined, but will focus on regulatory reform, financial services, and open trade.
“These things are commercially sensitive because obviously we will be working with commercial partners, but we are in that development and scoping phase, so I do not want to say anything that would preempt decisions or announcements,” he added.
He said the UK government expects to collaborate with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Department of Trade and Industry.
“I think we will be working with the agencies and partners that are most relevant to the sector — regulation and investment,” he added.
The EIP, launched in April, is a four-year initiative aimed at addressing barriers to trade, encouraging better regulation, and opening opportunities for mutual economic growth and investment.
Mr. White said that the experts from the UK are set to meet with their counterparts in the Philippines next month to develop business cases where the program can be effective.
“It takes a while … so realistically, it won’t be in the next few weeks or months, but early in 2025 that we should be starting to see much better detail,” he added.
The UK government is a partner of ARTA in the launch of the Policy Reform, Innovation, and Streamlining Management (PRISM) platform.
“This was delivered under our previous partnerships, and the EIP will sort of supersede that, build on it, and take us forward into the next four or five years,” Mr. White said.
Under the partnership, the UK government will share expertise on the regulatory impact assessment (RIA) process and its RIA curriculum.
ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez said PRISM is primarily directed at National Government agencies, with priority given to agencies offering direct public services.
“We have to institutionalize RIA as mandated by law, and all government agencies must appreciate the need for RIA in offering services to the people,” Mr. Perez said.
“It will assure our people that before regulations or ordinances are implemented, these should be subjected to that proven tool,” he added.
So far, ARTA has trained 2,000 government personnel across 200 agencies, with the target of covering all agencies before the end of the current administration.
“Our priorities for this year are agriculture, mining, energy, and water, so we will cover all those priority agencies,” he said.
“We hope that before the term of this administration ends in 2028, we shall have covered all government agencies, including local government units,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile
