Stakeholders who transact with the Bureau of Customs will have to keep an eye on the latest Bureau of Customs automation initiative officially called “Integrated Enhanced Customs Processing System”.
For purposes of simplicity and easy recall let us informally refer to this as “IECPS”.
The Department of Budget and Management–Procurement Service (DBM-PS) has formally called for the submission of eligibility documents for the “Selection of System Integrator for Design, Implementation, Operation and Maintenance of Integrated Enhanced Customs Processing
System and National Single Window for the Government of the Philippines”.
Based in documents obtained from PhilGEPS (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Service) portal, the brief project description is as follows:
“The Integrated Enhanced Electronic Customs Processing System and National Single Window Phase 2 Project aims to achieve a fully electronic, paperless, man contact-free processing of Customs transactions while allowing traders a single submission of data and information, and for the Bureau of Customs a single and synchronous processing of data and information and a single decision-making point for Customs release and clearance of cargo.”
This automation initiative has two (2) components:
- Component I – Design, Implementation, Operation and Maintenance of Enhanced Customs Processing System for the Bureau of Customs and;
- Component II – Development and Operationalization of Philippine National Single Window Phase 2 Project for the Government of the Philippines).
Some IT consulting companies interested in the latest BOC automation initiative informed this columnist that their deadline for submission of their eligibility documents is on or before October 28, 2014 at the DBM.
For now, these are the only details we can provide to our readers. Just like in previous BOC automation initiatives, I am sure that BOC will implement an information dissemination program to keep all stakeholders aware of this initiative once the project is officially awarded.
Leo V. Morada is a domain expert on IT applications in Philippine port operations with almost 30 years’ senior IT management experience implementing technology solutions in port operations and supply chain logistics, electronic transactions with customs & port authority, and air/sea port community system applications. He is CEO of Cargo Data Exchange Center, Inc, a customs-accredited Value Added Service Provider. He may be contacted at lmorada3f1@yahoo.com.
