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The Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee’s roadmap and key reform areas for implementation in 2022-2028 are now on the drawing board
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PTFC members approve the committee’s vision statement: Rise above the TIDES – Transparent, Inclusive, Digital, Efficient, and Secure Customs and Trade Procedures
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Government and the private sector will continue high-level collaboration in finalizing the PTFC Roadmap 2022-2028 activities
Technical working groups of the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC) are drafting the body’s roadmap for 2022-2028 and its key reform areas for implementation, according to the Bureau of Customs.
PTFC members also agreed on the committee’s vision statement, “Rise above the TIDES –Transparent, Inclusive, Digital, Efficient, and Secure Customs and Trade Procedures ”during the second meeting of the PTFC TWGs and PTFC Roadmap Writeshop from March 15 to 17.
The vision statement focuses on six key reform areas for implementation: stakeholder engagement, inter-agency coordination, technology infrastructure, legal and regulatory framework, COVID response measure, and support to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), according to a BOC statement.
BOC earlier said the key reform areas will serve as a guide in drafting the PTFC roadmap. It is based on inputs gathered during the PTFC stakeholder consultation last September and on recommendations from the World Bank Group.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, in his opening remarks during the meeting, highlighted the importance of finalizing the PTFC roadmap in conveying a clear service framework by BOC and the trade regulatory government agencies (TRGAs) in providing support for MSMEs and the trading community in general.
Guerrero encouraged MSME representatives and involved government agencies to actively participate in activities of the PTFC roadmap for a whole-of-government approach in providing MSMEs access to the global market.
The three-day hybrid session was attended by government officials and private sector representatives from the PTFC Compliance Monitoring Technical Working Group, PTFC Trade Policy Review Technical Working Group, and the PTFC Ad-Hoc Technical Working Group.
Members from the World Bank Group also attended to share international best practices of other countries in refining their draft PTFC roadmap.
BOC said high-level collaborative arrangements will continue to be conducted between the government and the private sector in finalizing detailed activities of the PTFC Roadmap 2022-2028.
The PTFC was created through Executive Order No. 136 issued in May 2021 to enable the Philippines to comply with its World Trade Organization-Trade Facilitation Agreement commitments.
The WTO-TFA mandates each member state to establish and/or maintain a national committee on trade facilitation, or designate an existing mechanism to facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of provisions of the agreement.
The Philippines ratified the WTO-TFA in 2016 with the agreement coming into force in 2017.
READ: PH ratifies Trade Facilitation Agreement
The PTFC is chaired by the Department of Finance with the Department of Trade and Industry as co-chair and BOC as vice chair.
Under EO 136, the PTFC is tasked to study, propose and coordinate the position, activities or actions of the Philippine government on matters pertaining to implementation of the WTO-TFA and other trade facilitation commitments.
It should also coordinate with and secure assistance from relevant government agencies and stakeholders on various trade and trade-related concerns covered by the WTO-TFA and other trade facilitation commitments.
