The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have agreed to use an electronic transfer system for efficient shipment of goods and processing of documents for businesses located in economic zones.
PEZA OIC Deputy Director General Tereso O. Panga said they have resolved with BOC some pressing concerns during a recent meeting with Acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Ruiz, Collector Alex Go for Cavite and NCR, and Collector Marife Recinto for Laguna to build on the agencies' partnership in terms of increasing logistics effiency and supply chain management, and other measures for continual improvement.
Specifically, both PEZA and BOC have agreed the use of single General Transportation and Surety Bond (GTSB) for the electronic zone transfer system. The use of single GTSB for ecozone importations and interzone movement of goods will facilitate processing.
Also agreed is the adoption of E-TRACC for selective and risk-based approach for the shipments to be covered by electronic tracking using eSEAL.
In addition, both agencies agreed on the integration of PEZA Electronic Import Permit System (EIPS) and Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) to the BOC E2M system for increased security and transparency in the processing and monitoring of import and export permits/documents); and disposal of enterprises' assets pursuant to the CREATE (net book value as reference).
The agreement was in response to President Ferdinand E. Marcos Jr’s call for digital transformation among government offices.
Digitalization is also a priority program of DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual under the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) cluster of the DTI strategic plan.
Already, PEZA has rolled out its online payment system and initiated other office automation projects (e.g., electronic LOAs, integration of different office automation systems, ecozone surveillance, and the proposed electronic visa application, building permit and ecozone fleet tracking systems, etc.) to enhance customer experience and the agency's delivery of services.
“All these will contribute to higher productivity, reliability, availability, increased performance, and reduced operating costs to the benefit of our valued ecozone investors and other stakeholders,” said Panga.
PEZA and BOC are long time and vital partners in promoting and facilitating trade and investments in the country through the economic zones.
Since the EPZA era in the 1970s, BOC had played a key role in facilitating the release of tax and duty-free import and export shipments of ecozone locators including the intra/inter-zone movement of goods which enabled our export industries to thrive in the country. When PEZA was established in 1995, the agency strengthened even more its cooperation with the BOC through the creation of the Joint Customs PEZA Office in all the international air/sea ports and subports (ecozones) providing for 24x7 operations to ensure the unhampered and efficient movement of ecozone cargoes.
Over the years, PEZA had introduced the electronic import permit and automated export documentation system for ecozone locators ahead of BOC and other freeport authorities. Soon thereafter, BOC pursued the National Single Window--a computerized internet-based system (TRADENET.gov.ph platform) that allows parties involved in trade to lodge information and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements.