The Philippines’ Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) are working closely with the Department of Agriculture (DA) on the full rollout and development of the Philippine government’s online trading facilitation portal called TradeNet.
Who are Involved?
- According to a recent press release, the DA is a key component of TradeNet as it is among the regulatory bodies that process permits for imports and exports.
- They are in charge particularly of agricultural products such as rice, which is now freely imported under the rice tariffication law, subject to the compliance by traders of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements.
- They have created project teams for integrating SPS certificates in TradeNet and the ASEAN Single Window (ASW).
- These teams will work with the DOF and DICT in developing TradeNet modules for the ASW exchange.
- Meanwhile, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will handle the e-Phyto Sanitary certificate, while the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will handle the e-Animal Health certificate.
- The Philippines aims to join the ASW in November 2019.
About TradeNet Philippines
- TradeNet has started processing permits for imports and exports.
- Additionally, the online portal is also expected to streamline the application for the electronic Certificates of Origin (e-COs) from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after the Bureau of Customs (BOC) released an MO that provides the guidelines for the submission and processing of all e-COs through TradeNet.
- The testing of the e-COs with the ASW will continue to ensure that the process on exchange and connectivity is streamlined.
- The platform will perform the functions of the government’s National Single Window (NSW) and will eventually be interconnected to the ASW.
- The ASW is a regional initiative that aims to speed up cargo clearances and promote economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the 10 ASEAN member-states.
- The retraining of BOC personnel to familiarise themselves with TradeNet has already begun. Moreover, pilot exporters have also begun to upload data on the portal.
- The portal’s first week of live operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has been described as “successful, with no incident.”
- The PDEA started processing online the special export permits of six pilot firms. The agency’s online processing involves the approval and issuance of import and special export permits on dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and controlled chemicals.
- Once it is fully operational, traders may apply online for import and export permits for commodities such as rice, sugar, used motor vehicles, chemicals or toluene, frozen meat, medicines for humans, animals, or fish, and cured tobacco.
- The end goal is to have all 75 trade regulatory government agencies across 18 government departments fully interconnected via TradeNet.
- It will simplify import and export documentary processes covering an initial 7,400 regulated products.
