Better export trade facilitation
Business Mirror
July 26, 2016
IN his first State of the Nation Address, President Duterte highlighted reforms that include making ease of doing business mandatory. Improving trade facilitation is contributory to improving the overall experience of doing business in the country.
For the export industry, both the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and exporters organizations had been long advocating the simplification of trade policy and procedure, transparency and efficient customs process.
Landmark government policies to foster better export trade facilitation include, among others, Executive Order 1016 (March 25, 1985), or Withdrawing the Inspection, Commodity and Export Clearance Requirements on Philippine Exports, and Presidential Decree 930 (May 13, 1976), or Simplifying Export Procedures and Documentation by Realigning Functions of Certain Government Offices/Agencies Involved in Processing Export Documents, by Authorizing the Issuance of Periodic clearances, by the Adoption of Standardized Export Documents and For Other Purposes.
These executive issuances created the List of Prohibited and Regulated Products for Export, which is available at the DTI web site (www.dti.gov.ph), as well as all customs offices and ports.
An Interagency Committee (IAC) was also created to review the list and approve issuances or orders from government agencies that may have an impact on export trade. It is composed of the secretary of trade and industry, as chairman, and the representatives of the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) as members.
Recent transparency initiatives include the creation of the Philippine National Trade Repository (PNTR), www.pntr.gov.ph, a web site providing a comprehensive reference on all trade data, regulations and processes. PNTR is supported by 50 trade regulatory government agencies (TRGAs) and trade policy-related agencies.
To support all these efforts, the DTI, through its Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) and the Export Development Council (EDC), is continuously working with other government agencies and exporters organizations toward the development of the Philippine exports.
Export Assistance Network, a unit under the DTI-EMB, liaise with all export-regulating government agencies. Trade facilitation issues reported by affected exporters are resolved directly with the concerned government agency. The Networking Committee on Trade Policies and Procedures Simplification of the EDC handles issues and concerns on trade policies and procedures, which have adverse effect on export trade. □
Franclem A. Peña, Trade and Industry Development Specialist, Export Marketing Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry