Stakeholders have asked the Board of Investments to further liberalize the listing of the 2010 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) including the reduction of the $300 million investments hurdle for strategic industries to $150 million or $100 million, expansion of the list to include existing players like cement and retention of those intended already for delisting like the vertical mass housing.

These issues were raised at Monday’s public hearing for the proposed 2010 IPP, an annual list of priority economic activities that are entitled to government tax and fiscal incentives.

On the $300 million investments hurdle for investments under strategic industries, Elmer SanPascual, director of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has proposed to halve the requirement to $150 million or $100 million to allow more compamies to qualify.

“A P15 billion investment requirement is limiting but if we can lower this to P10 billion or P5 billion we can have wider coverage and encourage more investment inflow opportunities,” said San Pascual.

There are also three conditions set under the strategic industries which the industry players want liberalized aside from the investments hurdle. These are employment generation of at least 1,000, use of new or internationally accepted high level of technology, and creation of value-added.

“We should liberalize rather than be more stringent,” an industry player said.

BoI executive director Raul V. Angeles, however, explained that the intention is to restrict the listing under the “Strategic Industries” because those that cannot meet the conditions under this heading can register under the specific listing.

Projects under the “Strategic Industries” heading covers major projects of global companies intended to be located only in one country as a regional hub where the Philippines is one of the short-listed countries for investment location.

The granting of incentives under this heading would be discretionary in nature and will be approved upon determination by the Board and in consultation with the Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority and other appropriate government agencies.