Aseagas shuts down Batangas plant

LIAN, Batangas — POWER generator and distributor Aboitiz Power Corp. announces that the biomass plant operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aseagas Corp., will permanently cease operations.

Aseagas earlier suspended its commissioning due to unavailability of the supply of organic effluent wastewater from its supplier, Absolut Distillers, Inc.

The company also took the opportunity to assess the plant’s other issues, and after a full assessment, decided to make the plant shutdown permanent.

“Our top consideration now is to balance the interests of all our stakeholders, including that of Aseagas’ employees,” AboitizPower President and COO Antonio R. Moraza said.

AboitizPower earlier disclosed that Aseagas has prepaid  its outstanding loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in the amount of Php 2.368 billion. Total value affected as a result of the closure is estimated to be at Php 3.7 billion, which represents Aseagas’ invested equity of Php 3.45 billion and the company’s estimated remaining obligations of around Php 250 million.

Originally planned as a liquid biomethane plant, the Aseagas plant is planned to produce transport fuel from organic waste, with a capacity of around 9,000 metric tons of biomethane per year.

Then it was then converted into a biomass plant, using methane to run offer capacity to the grid through the feed-in-tariff (FIT) scheme. FIT is a set of incentives given to power developers to invest in the renewable energy sector.

Prior to the decision to permanently shut down the plant, Aseagas put the facility on continuous shut down since December last year due to the same factors that led to its final closure. Aseagas continues plant shutdown

With the permanent closure of the 8.8 megawatt power plant, the company will then focus on pursuing other renewable energy projects across the country.

However, Moraza said that AboitizPower is still on track to add some 500 MW of attributable capacity, mainly from baseload and hydro power plants in 2018, pushing the company closer to its 2020 target of 4,000-MW net attributable capacity.|#BALIKAS_News

Government urged to promote ease of doing business – DTI

THE Government’s Inter-agency Task Force on Ease of Doing Business (EODB) is speeding up reforms to improve the country’s competitiveness.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez reported that the strategy is to pursue a whole of government approach where all instrumentalities of government involved in business regulations are taking unified action in simplifying government processes and making them more business-friendly.

“Remember that Competitiveness and Ease of doing business is number 3 in the President’s socio-economic agenda.  The executive branch, both National government agencies, and Local Government Units, and the legislative branch are working double time so that businesses could benefit from these reform initiatives.” DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

The DTI Secretary reported on the latest reforms initiated by the Executive Branch

• In November 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission implemented the Company Registration System (CRS) which significantly reduced the processing time and procedures in company verification and registration. The system also integrates the issuance of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and employer numbers from Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, and Philhealth.
• In December 2017, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista issued an order establishing One-Stop Shops (OSS) for business permits which will facilitate registration of new businesses. The OSS is now operational at the QC Hall.
• To speed up the issuance of construction permits, the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the DTI issued a joint circular which prescribed standards and procedures in the issuance of building permits, certificates of occupancy and other construction-related permits. 

A unified employee enrollment form and system will soon be implemented by the Social Security System, Pag-IBIG and Philhealth for new corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission that will consolidate enrollment of new employees at a single portal or at any one of the social security agencies. 

The DTI Secretary expressed confidence that Congress will soon pass the Expanded ARTA/EODB bill which will significantly address red tape, and expedite business related transactions in the country.  Secretary Lopez mentioned other important legislation such as the amendment of the Corporation Code, the passage of the Secured Transactions Act, which will improve Philippines ranking in Starting a business and Getting Credit indicators in the Doing Business Survey, respectively.

DTI also noted reforms in the judicial branch. The full implementation of the e-Court system by the Supreme Court is seen to enhance the Philippines’ Enforcing Contracts scores.  We are looking forward to the issuance by the Supreme Court of the guidelines on e-notarization also expected to create positive results in the competitiveness ranking.

Last year, the Philippines slipped 14 notches to 113^th rank in the Doing Business report published by World Bank-International Finance Corporation. It measures the ease of doing business across ten processes which a firm must undertake over its typical life cycle.

“Reforms must happen across government to achieve our goal to become top 20% in world rankings by 2020”, according to Secretary Lopez, Chair of the Doing Business Task Force.|#BALIKAS_News