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A MOA defining functions of the Department of Finance and Department of Information and Communications Technology in the implementation of TradeNet will be signed by the two agencies in early December
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DICT has agreed to take charge of technical aspects of TradeNet, including management and maintenance of the online system
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DOF will oversee the collaboration and coordination of 73 trade regulatory agencies that will be onboarded onto the platform
The Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will sign a memorandum of agreement next month to define their functions in the implementation of TradeNet, according to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).
ARTA in a statement said it met on November 4 with the two departments to resolve issues on roles in the draft MOA pending resolution since 2019.
During the meeting, DICT agreed to take charge of the technical aspects of TradeNet, including the online system’s management and maintenance.
DOF will oversee the collaboration and coordination of 73 trade regulatory government agencies (TRGAs) that will be onboarded onto the platform.
“ARTA will monitor all the agencies on their compliance with the mandatory onboarding onto the TradeNet platform. This is to simplify and harmonize the permitting and licensing processes concerning imports and exports of the 73 TRGAs, which was the purpose of ARTA’s previously issued memorandum circular,” ARTA director general Atty. Ernesto Perez said, referring to MC 2021-01.
Issued in March 2021, MC 2021-01 provides the guidelines on the mandatory onboarding of TRGAs onto TradeNet. ARTA is the vice chair of National Single Window (NSW) Onboarding Matters.
TradeNet is a platform for the automated and integrated licensing, permit, clearance, and certification system for TRGAs. It aims to connect all these agencies to make trade facilitation processes interoperable and efficient.
TradeNet also serves as the country’s NSW, the platform required to connect to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Single Window (ASW). The ASW is a regional initiative to speed up cargo clearance and promote regional economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the 10 ASEAN member states.
TradeNet replaces the NSW Phase 1, which has been operated by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) since its launch in 2010 and deployment in 2011. In 2017, the NSW Steering Committee issued a resolution adopting TradeNet as the new NSW instead.
READ: 21 PH regulatory agencies now onboard single window platform
BOC had said earlier that 21 TRGAs had already been onboarded onto TradeNet while the remaining more than 50 other agencies are expected to get on board this year.
