BOC deepens partnership for ‘paperless trade’

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) continues to strengthen its partnership with its stakeholders in the private sector aimed at modernizing its processes with special focus on cross-border paperless trade.

BOC representatives headed by Atty. Jenny P. Diokno, Chief, Export Coordination Division (ECD), actively participated in the seminar, ‘Enabling Cross-Border Paperless Trade’ organized by the Pan Asian E-commerce Alliance (PAA) and hosted by InterCommerce Network Services Inc. held in Makati City.

Mr. Yann Duval, Chief of the Trade and Policy Facilitation Division at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), provided updates on the Framework Agreement for the Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA).

The agreement, which the Philippines has signed, aims to reduce trade costs and foster digitalization by enabling the exchange of electronic documents and enhancing cross-border interoperability.

Key government officials from agencies such as Department of Trade and Industry Philippines (DTI), Department of Finance (DOF), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Board of Investments (BOI), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC), alongside private sector representatives, were also briefed by international experts and PAA members on the benefits of paperless trade, such as reduced processing times, cost savings, and enhanced transparency.