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Import and export transactions of essential goods should be fully paperless by 2028 with the implementation of measures on the six-year Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee Roadmap
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The PTFC Roadmap 2022-2028 also aims to fully implement the targets in its six trade facilitation key reform areas by 2028 and increase the country’s score to at least 90% in the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation
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The roadmap contains short- and medium-term activities of the PTFC leading to the provision of a world-class international trade gateway
The Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC) aims to achieve full paperless transactions for the import and export of essential goods by 2028 with the implementation of measures on PTFC’s six-year roadmap.
The PTFC Roadmap 2022-2028, released recently by the Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Customs (BOC), also aims to fully implement by 2028 the targets in its six trade facilitation key reform areas and increase the country’s score to at least 90% in the United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation.
The report noted that the 2021 UN report gave the Philippines a score of 86.02% in the various trade facilitation indicators measured.
The PTFC Roadmap is an action plan containing the short- and medium-term activities of the committee that would lead to the provision of a world-class international trade gateway.
The roadmap describes the allocation of responsibilities among its member-agencies and the corresponding performance indicators of these tasks, as well as necessary resources and associated risks involved in achieving the goal of enhancing trade facilitation from 2022 to 2028.
The PTFC seeks to pursue the roadmap’s vision statement, “Rise above the TIDES (Transparent, Inclusive, Digital, Efficient, and Secure Customs and Trade Procedures).”
The committee’s goal is for the Philippines to empower people and businesses by providing a world-class international trade gateway through transparent, inclusive, digital, efficient, and secure customs and trade procedures by 2028.
This will be achieved through high levels of collaboration between government and the private sector, implementation of streamlined procedures and provision of a fully automated trading environment.
The roadmap said these will result in reduced transaction time and costs for the trading community, high levels of compliance with the law, and enable MSMEs to participate more actively in international trade and contribute to sustained economic growth.
The roadmap is centered on the key reform areas identified by member-agencies and are geared towards achieving the PTFC’s vision.
The six key reform areas are stakeholder engagement, inter-agency coordination, technology infrastructure, legal and regulatory framework, emergency response measure, and support to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME).
Targets for each key reform area by 2028 are the following:
- Stakeholder engagement – The Philippines will have strong stakeholder engagement.
- Inter-agency coordination – The Philippines will achieve a strong inter-agency coordination through the exchange and sharing of information, the establishment of a One Stop Shop with shared facilities for joint inspection and control, and the full operationalization of the National Single Window.
- Technology infrastructure – The Philippines will have developed, implemented, and sustained a fully interoperable information and communications technology infrastructure for registration, accreditation, payment, lodgment and processing of import, export and transit documents, joint risk management to support pre-arrival processing, efficient clearance and release of goods.
- Legal and regulatory framework – The Philippines has adopted institutional mechanisms that expedite processing, clearance, and release of goods for compliant traders consistent with regional and international obligations.
- Emergency response measures – The Philippines will have improved mechanisms for disaster resilience and business continuity including expedited processing of essential commodities, and maintained critical areas for distribution.
- Support to MSMEs – The Philippines will have enhanced access to relevant rules, regulations, incentives and procedures and will be able to trade and participate in global value chains through transparent and simplified procedures. Through support and close coordination with the government, they will have access to modern trade and customs systems and trusted trader schemes.
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 (WTO-TFA) 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 the provisions of the agreement.
The Philippines ratified the WTO-TFA in 2016 and the agreement went into effect in 2017.
The PTFC is chaired by the DOF 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 the implementation of the WTO-TFA and other trade facilitation commitments.
The PTFC should also coordinate with and get assistance from relevant government agencies and stakeholders on various trade and trade-related concerns covered by the WTO-TFA and other trade facilitation commitments. – Roumina Pablo
