Минпромторг Филиппин получил бюджетное финансирование для выплаты долгов участникам программы CARS

DTI obtains budget funding to pay CARS participants THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it obtained budget funding to pay auto companies participating in the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program. “We were able to secure the budget to pay for the CARS arrearages, padating na po (it’s on the way) but it’s in the process,” Trade Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo said during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on Monday. Launched in 2015, the P27-billion CARS program sought to incentivize car manufacturing in the Philippines. CARS participants were given fiscal support if they produced at least 200,000 designated small car models within a six-year period. Automakers that participated in the CARS program were Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. vetoed a P4.3‑billion allocation for the CARS program, which was classified among the unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget. The budget for Revitalizing the Automotive Industry for Competitiveness Enhancement (RACE) program, CARS’ successor program, is also included in the DTI’s Tier II budget proposal, Mr. Rodolfo said. “We have already included RACE as a Tier II proposal, hinabol na po namin sa DBM, so hinihintay na lang po namin (We filed at the last minute with the DBM and are waiting for the outcome),” he said. Mr. Rodolfo added that the DTI is finalizing the joint administrative order (JAO) that will implement the RACE program. The JAO for RACE program will be issued by the DTI and the departments of Finance and Budget and Management. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz