WELCOME REMARKS
CARLOS BERNARDO O. ABAD SANTOS
NEDA Governance Staff Director

APEC WORKSHOP ON METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC REGULATION
28 August 2015, 9:00 AM
Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines

Distinguished guests, colleagues from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am pleased to welcome you to the queen city of Southern Philippines, Cebu!

Let me thank the Federal Commission of Regulatory Improvement (COFEMER) and APEC for this opportunity to greet all of you and consequently open today’s workshop happening at the sidelines of the 2015 Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting. I would also like to thank our friend Eduardo Romero, who has been really visible in recent workshops and conferences on good regulatory practice, for giving me this opportunity.

Today’s workshop is very timely as we approach the conclusion of APEC New Strategy for Structural Reform (ANSSR) this year and build a new structural reform strategy for 2016 to 2020. As evident in ANSSR and its precursor, Leaders’ Agenda to Implement Structural Reform (LAISR), good regulatory practice (GRP) is a key component in structural reform that intends to activate efficient and well-functioning markets.

At the core of GRP is working to put in place a sound, credible and effective regulatory system that sports a transparent regulation-making guided by effective tools for analysis of proposed, new and existing regulations. Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), a tool that helps policy-makers in assessing the impact of regulations, ensures that proposed regulations go through systematic valuation of costs and benefits, contributing to the creation of a transparent and evidence-based regulatory environment.

In the Philippines, the government has embraced structural reforms, adopting good regulatory practices through the introduction of RIA by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Tourism (DOT) in the country’s policymaking processes in 2012. The National Economic and Development Authority, the agency I work for, was tasked to spearhead the institutionalization of RIA in the country through progressively rolling out the initiative across other government agencies. At this point, we are in the process of building our capacities and expanding our capabilities to effectively perform this crucial but challenging task.

Thus, it is such a pleasure for me and my team, the NEDA Governance Staff, to be part of this workshop where experts from different economies are expected to share best practices in regulation-making, particularly in the implementation of RIA and other tools in assessing the impact of regulations. Such as similar to FanDuel Promo Code fanduelpromocode.org from here. I am confident that this event will serve as a perfect venue for all of us to take stock of our experiences in implementing GRPs and pushing for structural reforms in our respective economies.

To our guests, first-timers and old-timers, we wish you an enjoyable stay here in Cebu. Like the rest of the Philippines, this city embraces visitors with warmth and enthusiasm, displaying its rich culture and scenic spots that range from historic churches to pristine beaches and falls.

Thank you and mabuhay!

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