By Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel
ANALYSTS questioned the need for the Senate’s proposed Reinvigorate Investment and Sustainable Economic Growth (RISE) ad hoc committee, saying its mandate overlaps with existing bodies that already handle economic policy, investment, taxation, trade, infrastructure and public finance.
“Economic recovery is not a temporary or narrowly defined concern,” Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, told BusinessWorld via Facebook Messenger. “It cuts across economic planning, investment, taxation, employment, trade, infrastructure and public finance, many of which already fall within the jurisdiction of established Senate committees.”
Mr. Tapia said the Senate should identify the institutional gaps that would justify creating RISE, adding that ad hoc panels should address exceptional situations that require rapid coordination among institutions.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University, also questioned what communication problems between the Executive and Congress the panel would address.
“If the concern is economic recovery, investment promotion and support for micro, small and medium enterprises, what is being done here that is not covered by the committees already?” Mr. Juliano asked via Messenger.
Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian earlier said RISE would focus on economic recovery and help coordinate efforts between Congress and other institutions.
He said the panel would support the Senate’s economy-focused legislative agenda, which includes the abolition of travel tax, the proposed Granting Increase in Take-Home Pay for All Working Filipinos Act, general tax amnesty, the Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development bill and the Waste-to-Energy bill.
“Government efficiency and making the cost of living more affordable for our people are our primary concerns. And as the committee takes shape, partnership with the private sector will be invaluable,” Mr. Gatchalian said.
Mr. Tapia said the Senate’s Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) ad hoc committee, created in March to address the oil shock caused by the US-Iran war in the Middle East, showed when temporary panels could be useful.
PROTECT was designed to address a specific external shock by producing a contingency plan while linking short-term responses to longer-term policies, he said.
“Temporary committees are strongest when they diagnose an urgent cross-cutting problem, coordinate responses and identify policy gaps,” Mr. Tapia said.
The RISE panel should similarly produce concrete legislative and policy measures rather than duplicate the work of existing committees, he said. Its recommendations should translate into bills, amendments, budget interventions and oversight actions.
Mr. Juliano said RISE should also address domestic vulnerabilities, including the protection and sustained development of manufacturing and service industries.
“If they are serious about consolidating activity and coordination, clear assignment of mutual responsibility with the committees involved in the House of Representatives and Senate should be established with the necessary Cabinet offices,” he said.
He added that government institutions should establish common policy agreements to ensure that the panel improves coordination rather than adds another layer of bureaucracy.
Mr. Gatchalian told reporters on Thursday that the economic recovery committee could be launched by the last week of August.