The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has endorsed the Strategic Plan of Customs Development (SPCD) for the years 2016 to 2020 to guide the work of the ASEAN Customs Administration for the next five years.
The SPCD was endorsed during the 24th Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on May 20 to 22, attended by customs representatives from all 10 member states and the ASEAN Secretariat. Bureau of Customs Deputy Commissioner for Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero was head of the Philippine delegation.
At the meeting the ASEAN Customs Administration was also urged to sign Protocol 2 (Designation of Frontier Posts) and ratify Protocol 7 (Customs Transit System) within the year in order to start work on the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFGIT).
The AFGIT, which provides an effective arrangement for facilitating inter-state traffic and transit transport among ASEAN countries, has nine protocols, seven of which have been ratified.
Last year, the text for Protocol 2 was completed while Protocol 7 was signed by all member states.
The meeting also noted the progress made with the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), notably finalizing the protocol on the legal framework to implement the ASW in September 2014, and urged its signing in 2015. Also welcomed was the start of the full-fledged ASW Pilot Project Component 2 in early April 2015, including the appointment of the contractor.
In the Philippines, most of the more than 30 agencies issuing permits for importation still have to be part of the Philippine National Single Window (NSW). According to BOC, only about 10 agencies use the NSW, the portal for connecting to the ASW.
The Brunei meeting held consultation sessions with the customs administrations of China, Japan, and Korea to strengthen customs-to-customs cooperation in the region.
Also consulted were the US-ASEAN Business Council and the Conference of Asia-Pacific Express Carriers on strengthening customs-to-business partnerships in the region.
The meeting likewise reviewed the works of the ASEAN customs committees and working groups. These include the coordinating committee on customs, the customs procedures and trade facilitation working group, the customs enforcement and compliance working group, the customs capacity building working group and the ASW steering committee. – Roumina Pablo
