QUEZON CITY—Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo on Thursday urged all provincial governors and city mayors to designate a local economic and investment promotion officer in their respective provinces and cities to promote growth of local economy.

In a directive, Robredo said the designated local investment officer should facilitate and coordinate economic programs in provinces and cities.

“This is part of our efforts to encourage local governments to play active roles in attracting more investments by providing an environment that will generate and enhance economic activities in their area,” he said.

Specifically, the directive requires investment officers to perform the following functions:

1. Facilitate the preparation, coordination, and execution of local economic and investment promotion policies, projects and activities of the provincial or city government;
2. Facilitate the establishment of an aggressive, systematic, coordinated and sustained promotion and marketing of local government units (LGUs) as investment locations;
3. Provide basic information about business potentials of LGUs including services to prospective investors;
4. Establish a local economic database containing relevant facts and figures;
5. Coordinate with other offices in the promotion of economic activities such as the Planning and Development, Treasury and Budget Offices and the local Sanggunian (legislative council);
6. Coordinate with the private sector in investment promotion campaigns;
7. Conduct information dissemination on local government policies on investment, wage laws, required permits, etc

 To intensify promotion of economic activities in the regions, Robredo also directed all regional directors of the DILG to designate a DILG regional economic and investment promotion officer who should facilitate partnership of LGUs with other national government agencies (NGAs), private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders.

 “The designated DILG regional investment officer primarily will be tasked to help local government executives, particularly the economic investment promotion officers, to encourage investments and economic activities in their respective areas,” he added.

DILG regional directors would take charge of providing technical assistance to ensure compliance of local government units. ###