INVESTMENT APPROVALS PUMALO SA P1.16-T

UMABOT na sa P1.16 trillion ang investment approvals sa Board of Investments (BOI) hanggang noong Disyembre 18, na nahigitan na ang pre-pandemic level.

Ayon sa BOI, ang kasalukuyang approved investments ay mas mataas sa P1.14 trillion pledges noong 2019.

Ito rin ang record-high investment approvals para sa BOI sa nakalipas na 56 taon.

Tumaas din ito ng 59 percent kumpara sa investment approvals noong 2022 na P729.1 billion.

“The BOI hitting PHP1.16 trillion for 2023 reaffirms strong investor confidence in the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., their responsiveness to the policy initiatives of the President and the effectiveness of the aggressive investment promotion activities under the ‘Make It Happen in the Philippines ‘campaign,” wika ni Trade Secretary at BOI chairman Alfredo Pascual.

Ang P1.6 trillion investment pledges ay nagmula sa 303 projects, na inaasahang lilikha ng 47,195 trabaho sa sandaling maging  fully operational na lahat.

Malaking bahagi ng approved investments ay nasa  power sector, lalo na ang renewable energy projects, na nagkakahalaga ng P986.14 billion, tumaaa ng 14 percent mula P409.03 billion noong nakaraang taon.

Ang pagtaas sa investment approvals sa power sector ngayong taon ay bunga ng pitong offshore wind projects sa Cavite, Laguna, Dagupan, San Miguel Bay, Negros, at Northern Samar na may kabuuang investments na P759.84 billion.

Umabot naman sa P96.16 billion ang investments sa information and communications technology sector.

Inaprubahan din ng BOI ang P22.03 billion investments sa manufacturing sector, P20 billion sa infrastructure sector, at P15.63 billion sa real estate activities.

Nagtala rin ang investment promotion agency (IPA) ng 452-percent surge sa pledges mula sa foreign sources na nagkakahalaga ng P763.22 billion.

Ang top foreign investors sa BOI ngayong taon ay ang Germany, na may total pledges na P393.28 billion, Netherlands sa P333.61 billion, Singapore sa P17.38 billion, at United States sa P3.38 billion.

“There are three more projects worth about PHP350 billion that are currently being assessed and, if they are able to comply with both the substantive and transparency requirements, they may be able to make it to the BOI Board and ManCom (Management Committee) deliberations on December 28th—our last for the year,” pahayag ni Trade Undersecretary at BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo.

Target ng BOI na maaprubahan ang kabuuang P1.5 trillion investment pledges nga­yong taon.

(PNA)