DOF pushes activation of TradeNet

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DOF) has renewed calls for the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to activate TradeNet, the government’s online platform for trading permits, to streamline the flow of goods and further tame inflation.

In his latest economic bulletin, Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran urged Customs Commissioner Leonardo Guerrero to activate TradeNet and allow the continued improvements in the supply chain to further help ease inflation.

“The BOC commissioner should already sign the CMO to activate TradeNet.ph to allow for further streamlining,” Beltran said.

Moreover, the DOF’s chief economist said the government must implement productivity programs to reverse the price increases of fish, fruits and vegetables.

Inflation last January slowed down to 4.4 percent from the 5.1 percent registered in December 2018.

Beltran attributed this to the implementation of measures which streamlined the supply chain, particularly for agricultural products.

The DOF official was referring to Administrative Order 13 issued by President Duterte last Sept. 21, removing the administrative restrictions on the importation of agricultural products.

Duterte also issued Memorandum Orders 26, 27 and 28, which aim to ease the delivery of agricultural goods to the market.

TradeNet was established to enable traders to apply for their permits online, and allow regulatory agencies to receive applications and send feedback in real-time.

The platform is seen to minimize the cost of doing business and cut the processing time for the issuance of import and export permits.

It is also intended to serve as the Philippines’ link to the ASEAN Single Window. This regional initiative seeks to speed up cargo clearances and promote economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among Southeast Asian countries.

The Duterte administration’s goal is to have all 76 regulatory government agencies across 18 government departments fully interconnected via TradeNet.