The World Bank has approved a loan to the Philippines to improve its customs administration, reduce transaction costs as well as enhance predictability and transparency of the clearance process at the country’s borders.

In a statement, the Washington-based financial institution said it green-lighted a $88.29 million loan for the Philippines customs modernization project that should benefit traders, exporters, importers, port operators, shipping companies, and transport providers.

World Bank added that small and medium enterprises along with their workers are also expected to directly benefit from the project that aims to modernize operations of the Bureau of Customs.

Under the plan, the project should improve customs administration by enhancing the streamlining and automation of the bureau’s procedures, as well as supporting the development of a world-class customs processing system (CPS).

“Improved efficiency at the Bureau of Customs will reduce trade costs and support Philippines’ competitiveness,” Ndiamé Diop, World Bank Country Director for the Philippines said.

“Automation will reduce face-to-face interactions and delays, and increase accountability, all of which strengthens efficiency and improve the business environment,” he added.

With the new CPS, important processes like trade management and registration, cargo inspection, duty payment, and clearance and release, among others, will be integrated in a seamless online system.

It will also improve adherence to international standards and conventions for customs processing, including an audit trail for transactions, allowing for greater transparency and less opportunity for corruption.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines was one of the most dynamic economies in East Asia and the Pacific Region.

Nevertheless, its growth potential was constrained by inefficiencies in trade facilitation and customs administration.

For example, a container in the Philippines takes 120 hours to clear customs and associated inspection procedures, much higher than in neighboring Vietnam (56 hours), Thailand (50 hours) or Malaysia (36 hours).

The unfavorable business environment for firms in the Philippines reduces the incentive to engage in export, thereby foregoing the opportunity to expand markets and create more jobs in the Philippines.

Based on enterprise survey data, domestic firms in the Philippines export only 3.5 percent of their output, compared to 26 percent in Malaysia and Thailand.

As for foreign firms, 78.7 percent of them in Vietnam, 84 percent in Malaysia and 93 percent in Thailand, directly or indirectly export, compared to 25.5 percent in the Philippines. “Relatively poor trade facilitation performance at the country’s borders can partly be attributed to outdated infrastructure and business practices,” World Bank said.