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THE
Philippine government will test a system, which intends
to simplify the process of clearing imported goods
through Customs and ensure its compatibility with a
regional program that will further facilitate trade.
Bureau
of Customs (BOC) Deputy Commissioner Alexander Arevalo
said that the agency will examine the agency specific
and industry specific components of the new measure,
which is expected to be compatible with the Asean
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Single Window
program.
Besides
intending to unify customs procedures, the program,
which is set to be implemented in the Philippines next
year, will connect all government agencies which
undertake import and export transactions with the
Customs Bureau.
Upon
implementation, importers and exporters will no longer
be required to secure documentation for their shipments
from individual agencies, cutting red tape in the
process.
All
transactions will be done through computers or mobile
phones, while person-to-person business dealings with
the BOC will be reduced to a minimum through its
accredited third party service providers.
The
traditional method requires traders to secure various
documents, which take weeks before the release of
shipments.
The
agency specific component includes the release of
licenses and clearances of the seven agencies of the
Department of Agriculture, unifying all documents into a
single form and allowing importers to obtain Customs
documents through electronic means.
“Hopefully, we could get the result within the month and
use it on how to successfully link all these agencies to
the BOC, in time for the target implementation of some
aspects of the Asean Single Window this quarter,”
Arevalo said.
The said
attached agencies under the agriculture department
include the Philippine Coconut Authority, the Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Bureau of Plant
Industries, the National Meat Inspection Service, the
Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority and the National
Dairy Authority.
Meanwhile, the industry specific component will involve
the Philippines’ vehicle industry.
Arevalo
said that the agency is currently collecting all
information needed to form a single document which will
be used by the BOC and the transport industry including
the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Bureau of Import
Service, Bureau of Product Standards, the Philippine
Shippers Bureau and the Car Manufacturers of the
Philippines Inc. |
