Published November 26, 2019, 10:00
PM By Myrna
M. Velasco
With streamlined evaluation and
approval processes, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has directed subordinates
to have all pending permits and project contracts acted upon prior to the end
of the year.
Through a Department Order (DO), the
energy chief sternly instructed his officials to hasten process “for the
awarding and administration of service/operating contracts, as well as the
issuance of permits, endorsements, or certifications for energy projects.”
He primarily ordered all of his
energy officials “to ensure that all pending items are acted upon on or before
20 December 2019.”
The DOE is the agency overseeing the
permitting and licensing requirements for power projects; the issuance of
service contracts for renewable energy (RE) ventures as well as those on
upstream oil and gas projects.
Cusi has reiterated the mandate of
the Duterte administration on eradicating red tape or the multi-layered
bureaucracy of project approvals, as such could basically deter investors from
flowing capital into energy projects.
“We at the DOE have been striving to
help fully realize this vision by streamlining our processes, most especially
those involving the service or operating contracts,” Cusi said.
It has to be noted that multitudes
of complaints from energy investors delve with the very slow pace of project
approvals – including pendency of applications or unattended sets of
correspondence that oftentimes are also pending with the Office of the
Secretary.
In particular, Cusi has “instructed
all Undersecretaries, Assistant Secretaries, and concerned Bureau Directors to
submit an inventory of all pending applications for service/operating
contracts.”
He further ordered that such reports
must include their dates of application, status as well as the actions already
taken by corresponding units of the department.
The energy chief has similarly
required his subalterns to turn in “status reports on all existing service
contracts.”
Cusi emphasized the energy
department is “undertaking all measures that would maximize our operational
efficiency,” while expounding that “these inventories would guide us in making
sure that all pending action items are acted upon before 2019 comes to a close.”
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