International Container Terminal Services Inc. is urging the government to cut delays that can hold up private investment under the Luzon Economic Corridor, proposing a one-stop shop for investors and an integrated logistics master plan.
Philip Marsham, vice president for ICTSI’s Philippines portfolio, said companies still face a complicated web of permits, right-of-way requirements, and government agencies despite strong investment opportunities in the country.
“There’s no shortage of clever people, ideas, business. But you run into—it’s a very complicated process,” Marsham said at the LEC Investment Forum.
He said the government could establish a centralized facility responsible for coordinating permits, government submissions, right-of-way requirements, and other clearances needed by investors.
Marsham cited Ethiopia, where he said a one-stop shop allowed him to establish a company within 36 hours and secure the necessary permits within a month.
“I opened a company there in 36 hours,” he said.
A similar system in the Philippines could give investors a single government interface and reduce the time spent navigating separate agencies, Marsham said.
“It could really speed up” project implementation, he said.
But faster approvals alone will not be enough if infrastructure projects are planned separately, he added.
ICTSI is also pushing for an integrated logistics master plan that would align government agencies with investors, transport and logistics companies, shipping lines, and infrastructure providers.
Marsham said roads, railways, ports, power, and right-of-way should be planned as connected components so that one missing link does not undermine an otherwise viable investment.
“If we do a [project and] the four-lane highway is not done, then it’s going to be a problem,” he said.
For investors, gaps in supporting infrastructure can undermine the viability of factories, logistics facilities, ports, and other major projects by raising costs or delaying operations.
The proposal comes as the government seeks to use the LEC to attract manufacturing, logistics, and other investments by connecting major economic centers and ports across Luzon.
Marsham said the corridor should be planned around how businesses actually operate and move goods, rather than treating individual infrastructure projects as standalone investments.
“Everything should be linked in some way. So I think that would be my wish list,” he said.
ICTSI’s proposals underscore a key challenge for the LEC: attracting capital is only the first step. The country must also give investors a faster, more predictable path from investment commitment to construction and commercial operations.
