The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Luxury cars, oil and cigarettes appear to be the top sources of revenue leaks, estimated at more than P50 billion a year, or almost 10.68 percent of the annual revenue target of the Bureau of Customs of (B0C) P467.50 billlion.

President Duterte articulated his vision of sustained and inclusive growth by ensuring peaceful and orderly business environment during the Manila Times 5th Business Forum.

SMC Global Power, the power generation unit of conglomer­ate San Miguel Corporation, reported that continuous test­ing since January of its new clean coal technology power plant in Limay, Bataan, yield­ed emission results that were “way, way below” government and World Bank standard lim­its.

Fifteen foreign and local business organizations have appealed to Mala­canang and the Congress to give top priority to the Comprehensive Tax Re­form Program (CTRP) and 11 other legislative proposals that aim to improve the country’s investment climate, create more jobs, sustain the growth momentum and clear the way to economic inclusion.

Merchandise trade grew 5.8 percent last year from a year ago, backed by double-digit growth of imports that offset exports decline, according to the Na­tional Economic and Devel­opment Authority (Neda).

Leading consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has signed a memo­randum of agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to pilot “Angat Kita”, a micro-entrepreneur development program that will equip sari-sari store owners with fundamental entrepre­neurial knowledge, skills, best practices and business seed capital.

By Riza Lozada  The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) shelf registration program has drawn some of the biggest companies to apply for more than P100 billion in planned bond floats.

Telecommunications and digital services provider PLDT Inc., through its Home, Enterprise and International Carrier Business Groups, and Smart Communications, sealed a partnership with TV5’s multi-platform, multi-discipline production outfit, D5 Studio, Voyager Innovations’ digital marketing solutions arm, VYGR Digital Agency, and PLDT’s Big Data Organization, Partner Analytics and Customer Experience, or PACE (formerly Talas Data Intelligence, Inc.) through the signing of …

Local builder Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company (AG&P), which now focuses on LNG infrastructure solutions including LNG terminals and supply chains, and Hindustan LNG (HLNG), an LNG import terminal development company based in India, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to supply natural gas to power stations in the East Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Listed cement manufacturer Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. (CHP) reported a P2.69 billion profit last year as sales of cement pick up amid the construction boom.