DOTC, BOC get negative rating in new business survey

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ID-10040172The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) were among 19 government agencies to receive negative net satisfaction scores in a recent survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC).

In the “Second Semester 2014 MBC Executive Outlook Survey” released August 11, 43 out of 62 government agencies and offices received positive net satisfaction scores from senior business executives surveyed from July 1 to July 25.

The top 10 positively rated government agencies were the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with a net score of 95.4, followed by the Department of Tourism (81.6), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (80), DOST-PAGASA (72.3), Securities and Exchange Commission (64.6), Department of Foreign Affairs (63), Department of Health (61.6), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (61.6), Department of Finance (60), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (58.4).

In the top 10 with negative ratings and tied in 55th place were  DOTC and BOC, the main government agencies responsible for supervising the country’s transport and trade sectors, with a score of negative 44.6 net satisfaction.

BOC garnered a satisfaction rating of only 29.2 from the surveyed executives, of whom 73.8% said they were not satisfied with the agency’s performance.

DOTC, on the other hand, only had a 27.7 satisfaction rate, with 72.3 % of the polled saying they were unsatisfied with its performance.

In a statement, Customs commissioner John Sevilla said the agency “acknowledge that the Bureau of Customs has a long way to go before we can satisfy the demands of the public.”

He added, “We believe that systemic reforms—in our IT platform, in our processes, and in our people—are key if we are to achieve sustained collection growth, fight smuggling, and make trade easier and more secure.”

He noted that “such systemic reforms take time, but we are laying the foundations for such reforms now”.

He said, “We take our negative perception as a challenge, and commit to the public that we will work hard to improve as fast as we can.”

The Department of Public Works and Highways was in 12th place with a net score of 55.4, the Department of Trade and Industry in 18th place with a score of 50.8, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue in 43rd place with a 3.1 score.

Other government agencies with negative net satisfaction scores were the Commission on Appointments, Department of Energy, Philippine National Police, the lower court system, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, Department of Agriculture, House of Representatives, and the Senate.

Events that took place during the survey period included the Supreme Court’s announcement of its decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program, which the government has since appealed. During this period, too, investigations into rice smuggling and hoarding began, the government peace panel met with MILF leaders in Kuala Lumpur over the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, and typhoon Glenda swept through Luzon, resulting in power outages and rotating brownouts.

The 65 senior business executives who participated in the survey represented 8.8% of the 736 members of MBC. – Roumina Pablo

Image courtesy of Mister GC / FreeDigitalPhotos.net