March 05, 2015 – TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines – National Treasurer Roberto Tan rallied delegates attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting on Thursday to support the Cebu Action Plan (CAP).

“Dear colleagues, as we meet for the next two days to discuss the Cebu Action Plan, we greatly invite you to give us your valuable inputs to find ways in moving our CAP initiatives forward,” Tan said in his speech during the opening of the two-day meeting held at the Taal Vista Hotel here.

“We highly encourage you to work with us on our CAP initiatives so that we could bring about their intended benefits. We look forward to your support to the CAP, as we, together as one APEC community, concertedly work towards our ultimate goal of sustained and shared prosperity.”

Tan said they have developed the CAP, mindful of the imperatives for the Asia-Pacific, as well as the progress that the APEC has achieved through the years.

The aim, he said, is to achieve free and open trade and investment set by the Bogor Goals, the importance of sustainable and balanced growth and sound fiscal management highlighted in the Kyoto Report on Growth Strategy and Finance, and the priorities on financial inclusion and literacy put forward by the United States and Russia.

The Cebu Action Plan will also look at the agenda on infrastructure development and financing brought up by Indonesia in 2013 and carried over by China in 2014.

The consultations with APEC Senior Finance Officials last January in Clark Economic Zone, Pampanga and the inputs from APEC member economies and observers form part of the CAP as it becomes a roadmap towards a more financially integrated, transparent and resilient APEC community, Tan said.

This is in line with four pillars, namely Promoting Financial Integration; Advancing Fiscal Transparency and Policy Reform; Enhancing Financial Resiliency; and Accelerating Infrastructure Development and Financing.