THE creation of the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC) is seen to support the goal of automating the trade system and processes, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) said.
Arta Director General Jeremiah B. Belgica said in a recent statement that Executive Order (EO) 136—which is behind the establishment of said committee—will further enhance the streamlining efforts of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The EO, which took effect last week, is in compliance with the provision of the World Trade Organization-Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO-TFA), which entered into force in 2017.
The committee will be led by the Department of Finance and the Department of Trade and Industry while the BOC will sit as vice chairman.
The PTFC is tasked with studying, proposing and coordinating the stance of the government relating to the WTO-TFA and other trade facilitation commitments.
It is also the responsibility of the committee to propose trade regulations, measures and practices that can quicken movement, release and clearance of goods.
Belgica said the EO “provides a significant boost to ongoing streamlining and re-engineering programs such as the National Single Window Program and TradeNet, both of which are designed to facilitate trade by allowing parties involved in trade to lodge information and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements.”
“This will also align agencies’ modernization projects with the government’s existing efforts, allowing for an improved and automated trade system and processes,” he added.
With this, the Arta chief called on trade regulatory government agencies to onboard the TradeNet platform and streamline their processes.
“The many laws and policies now in place make certain the fact that streamlining and automation is no longer an option but is indeed compulsory for the whole of government,” he said.
The members of the committee will include the Departments of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority, Tariff Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations, DTI-Bureau of Import Services, Food and Drug Administration and Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
Initial funding for the PTFC will be sourced from the current appropriations of the member-agencies. In succeeding years, the budget shall be included in the annual outlay of each member.