THE proposed National Single Window System is expected to be implemented in May next year through a public-private partnership (PPP) with a Singapore company, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.
“There is a proponent for a PPP. It is a company from Singapore, together with Temasek (the Singapore government-controlled investment company), so they seem to be credible,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told a Senate hearing on the Development Budget Coordination Committee.
“Something like half a billion will likely be spent. And we’re pretty confident that by May of next year, we will have that National Single Window in place,” he told legislators.
Senator Cynthia A. Villar had queried the delayed implementation of the National Single Window system, which is designed to facilitate trade by streamlining Customs and other trade-related approvals into a one-stop shop arrangement.
The delays were blamed on an injunction that barred the Bureau of Customs from pursuing any change in its procedures.
“The Bureau of Customs, by virtue of mandatory injunction, is precluded from enhancing our system. We cannot enhance our customs processes at the moment because of that injunction,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio told the hearing.
Because of this, the DoF and the Department of Information and Communications Technology last year designated TradeNet as the National Single Window platform.
The BoC presides over the technical working group of TradeNet.
The TradeNet system also includes the automated and integrated licensing, permitting, clearance and certification system of 18 trade-related government agencies.
On the sidelines of the hearing, Mr. Rubio told reporters that there are communication challenges with some agencies that have yet to join TradeNet.
The Philippines is the only country in Asia that has not implemented a National Single Window System, Ms. Villar said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
