Section 7January 24, 1991, Sec./Art. 7

Composition. — The Council shall be headed by the Secretary of Trade and Industry as Chairman. The members shall be the following:

(a) Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority;

(b) Secretary of Agriculture;

(c) Secretary of Labor and Employment;

(d) Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources;

(e) Secretary of Science and Technology;

(f) Chairman of Small Business Finance and Guarantee Corporation;

(g) Chairman of the small ad medium enterprises promotion body which the President shall undertake to establish under this Act; and

(h) Three (3) representatives from the private sector, all Filipino citizens, to represent Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to be appointed by the President, one of whom shall come from the banking industry.

Cabinet-rank ex officio members of the Council shall designate an undersecretary or assistant secretary as their permanent representative in case they fail to attend meetings of the Council.

The private sector members of the Council shall initially receive per diem of One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) per meeting.

The Department of Trade and Industry shall allocate Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) out of its savings for the initial operating expenses of the Council, after which the Council's budget shall be included in the annual appropriation of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The council may, from time to time, call upon the participation of any government agency or association of local government officials in its deliberation especially when such agency is directly or indirectly concerned with and/or affecting the growth and development of small and medium enterprises in any particular area or manner.