MANILA, Philippines- Nakikita ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang ratipikasyon ng free trade agreement (FTA) sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at South Korea sa loob ng taong kasalukuyan.
Sa isang kalatas, sinabi ng Presidential Communications Office (PCO) na ginawa ng Pangulo ang naturang anunsyo sa isang panayam sa kanya ni Maeil Business Newspaper chairman at publisher Chang Dae- Whan sa Palasyo ng Malakanyang.
Ang FTA ay naglalayong bawasan ang barriers sa imports at exports sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa lalo pa’t ang mga kalakal at serbisyo ay maaaring bilihin at ibenta sa iba’t ibang panig ng international borders may “maliit man o walang government tariffs, quotas, subsidies, o prohibitions.”
“I think so. I think we will get it done. I think we will get it ratified …it’s important to us,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos ayon sa PCO.
“I think one of the lessons we learned during the pandemic, and now after the pandemic, is how important trade is, not just to be wealthy…. but to have the things that you need, that your people need. So, that’s always the key for us and no country succeeded by cutting itself off,” dagdag na wika nito.
Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin nararatipikahan ng Philippine Senate at South Korea’s National Assembly ang FTA sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.
Winika pa ng Pangulo na nais ng Pilipinas ng hiwalay na kasunduan sa South Korea para bawasan ang taripa sa ilang Filipino products.
“We are negotiating a separate future agreement with the Republic of Korea to encourage them to allow some of our products to be included in the reduced tariff products. We also hope that we can negotiate with South Korea better terms,”ang sinabi ng Pangulo.
“There are many areas, the semiconductor, the automotive parts. Fruits, we’re already exporting many great fruits to Korea,” aniya pa rin.
Samantala, nakatakda namang ipagdiwang ng Pilipinas at South Korea ang ika-70 taong anibersaryo ng diplomatic relations ng mga ito ngayong taon. Kris Jose
