Aquino: Govt to make it easy for small retailers to do business in PHL

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday said the government will make it easy for small retailers to do business in the Philippines.  Aquino made the statement before some 70,000 people who attended Puregold’s 7th Tindahan ni Aling Puring sari-sari store convention in Pasay City. At present, Puregold Aling Puring has around 180,000 members. “Maging ang proseso ng pagkuha ng business permit at lisensya patuloy din nating sinisikap na mapabilis at mapadali at mapadama sa taumbayan na ang gobyerno ay para sa kanila,” Aquino said. He noted that the local retail industry contributed  P1.3 trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011.   “Hindi po matatawaran ang kontribusyon ng industriya ng retail sa pambansang ekonomiya,” Aquino said.   “Sa katunayan, 13 percent o 1.3 trillion pesos po mula sa suma-total nating Gross Domestic Product na 9.7 trillion pesos nitong 2011 ay nagmula sa retail. Tandaan po natin: marami sa sektor na ito ay nagmumula sa micro, small and medium enterprises, o sa mga maliliit na negosyong tulad ng mga sari-sari store,” he added.   He noted how the sari-sari industry not only gives people easy access to everyday goods but also promotes camaraderie in the community.   “Ang isang plastik mo ng softdrinks at crackers, may sukli pang mga pananaw at kuro-kuro. Ang order mong ulam, hindi lang unlimited kanin ang kasama, may unlimited kwento pa,” Aquino said.   SME Caravans   Meanwhile, Aquino said there will be SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) Caravans which rounds the different regions in the country to encourage the people to become entrepreneurs.   Since April 2011, at least 24 areas have been visited by the caravan and served 18,000 people, Aquino said.   He said the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is also providing  training to help improve the skills of entrepreneurs. - VVP, GMA News