Think-tank hits trade secretary for conditioning public on JPEPA approval

Independent think-tank IBON Foundation criticizes Trade Secretary Peter Favila for seemingly conditioning the public that the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) will be approved before the month ends.

Independent think-tank IBON Foundation criticizes Trade Secretary Peter Favila for seemingly conditioning the public that the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) will be approved before the month ends.

JPEPA, a bilateral trade deal that eliminates tariffs on Japanese industrial goods, faces strong opposition for a host of issues including estimated revenue losses for RP of P10.6 billion yearly due to tariff removals under JPEPA, according to IBON research head Sonny Africa.