MANILA, Philippines – PLANO ng MAHARLIKA Investment Corp. (MIC) na magdesisyon ukol sa potensiyal na investments sa pagtatapos ng taon.
“Admittedly it is taking time to identify investments that Maharlika can make,” ang sinabi ni Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto sa Senate Finance Committee hearing kasama ang Development Budget Coordination Committee.
Sa ngayon kasi ay hindi ,gumagawa ng kahit na anumang investment ang ‘first sovereign wealth fund’ ng bansa mula ng lagdaan ang Republic Act No. 11954 noong July 2023, lumikha ng Maharlika Investment Fund.
“As you know it is like a startup, we just passed the law last year, so it has been in operation for about six to seven months right now,” ang sinabi ni Recto.
Sinabi pa ni Recto na ang Maharlika’s board, binubuo ng Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), presidente at private sector representatives, ay “working and complete.”
Si Recto, nagsisilbi bilang board’s chairman, ay nagpahayag na hanggang sa ngayon ay itinatatag pa rin ng korporasyon ang tanggapan nito.
“The board members have not received salaries,” aniya pa rin.
Tinuran nito na si MIC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rafael D. Consing, Jr. ay “looking for opportunities” subalit hindi naman humingi ng approval ng investment mula sa board.
Sa mga nakalipas na board meetings, sinabi ni Recto na binanggit ni Consing na iprayoridad ang investments sa energy sector, partikular na sa off-grid power projects at infrastructure projects.
“These (priority areas of investment) are very general, nothingfinal yet,” ayon kay Recto sabay sabing “Hopefully, by the end of the year there will be decisions where to invest.”
Nauna rito, sinabi naman ni Consing na priority sectors ng korporasyon ang “energy, physical at digital infrastructure, food security, aviation at aerospace, mineral processing, transportation, at turismo.”
“The corporation seeks to raise about $1 billion for energy projects that include grid modernization, electricity distribution and new sources to “diversify supply and create price stability.” ani Consing.
Tinuran naman ni Recto na dapat na nakatuon ang MIC sa investment opportunities ‘locally, not abroad.’
“We are anticipating that Maharlika will make significant investments in infrastructure,”ang sinabi naman ni Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Mary Grace Sonora N. Poe-Llamanzares sa kaparehong pagdinig.
Ang MIC ay mayroong ‘authorized capital stock na P500 billion. Ang initial capital na P125 billion ay nagmula sa kontribusyon ng LANDBANK (P50 billion), DBP (P25 billion) at National Government (P50 billion).
Sinabi ni Recto na ang P75 billion na ipinalabas sa MIC ay kasalukuyang naka-invest sa Treasury.
“We just invested in the Treasury, and the interest income is what they are using in their operations,” aniya pa rin.
Samantala, hiniling naman ni Senate Deputy Minority Floor Leader Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel kay Recto n a kumpirmahin kung sa P1 billion na kinuha mula MIC’s capital stock, P9 billion ay kukunin naman mula sa loanable funds ng LANDBANK at DBP, na ang tugon ni Recto ay “possibly.”
“That (P9 billion reduced in loanable funds assumes that everything is correct, with the nine times multiplier effect, but in many instances, LANDBANK and DBP, many of those resources, investable funds, are also invested in the Treasury,” anito. Kris Jose
