The BOC, through the Project Team for Strengthened Trade Facilitation Capacity Building, convened the 1st Meeting of the ARISE Plus Philippines Output-Specific Working Group 4 on “Strengthened Trade Facilitation Capacity to Implement the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO-TFA)” on February 28, 2022.

The meeting was presided by Atty. Julito Doria, Chief of the BOC Prosecution and Litigation Division and Chair of the BOC 2022-Point Priority Program for Enhanced Trade Facilitation, with assistance from Ms. Rhoan Escarmosa, NSW-TWG Lead Secretariat and Vice-Chair of the BOC 2022-Point Priority Program for Enhanced Trade Facilitation.

The Working Group is composed of representatives from the DTI – Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR), DTI – Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), DA – International Affairs Division (DA-IAD), and DTI – Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC). It also includes private sector members from the Philippine Exporters Confederation (PHILEXPORT), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Women’s Business Council of the Philippines (WBCP), and the Philippine Young Entrepreneurs Association (PYEA).

In coordination with the Secretariat from the International Trade Center (ITC), the 1st working group meeting discussed the activities conducted for the three trade facilitation priority programs under the Output 4: Year 1 Work Plan namely: the Integrated Risk Management (IRM), e-Commerce, and the Authorized Economic (AEO) Program. The meeting also finalized the Output 4: Year 2 Work Plan, which will be implemented from March 2022 to February 2023. The agreed Work Plan will be subsequently submitted to the 2nd Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and 3rd Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting scheduled in March 2022.

In his concluding remarks, BOC Assistant Commissioner and Chair of the BOC Project Team Atty. Vincent Philip C. Maronilla acknowledged the relevance of this collaboration which signals that the BOC remains focused in developing and implementing programs for the continuous enhancement of customs systems and processes that will harmonize customs procedures consistent with international standards and customs best practices.