Blame govt policy for persistence of illicit trade

Ben D. Kritz

THE Philippines has made an embarrassing showing in yet another global report, and this one will wound the sensitive self-image of the current government more than most: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index 2018 ranks the Philippines 64th out of 84 countries studied, and while the country did not do particularly well in any category, it was in the area of government policy that it did spectacularly poorly.