FOR MONDAY
To combat rampant smuggling, the government will soon implement a new digital trade protection system designed to significantly reduce illicit trade.
Department of Finance-led (DOF) committee on pre-border technical verification and cross-border electronic invoicing (CPTVCEI) recently issued a Joint Administrative Order (JAO) implementing AO No. 23, series of 2024, or the Digital and Integrated System for Pre-border Technical Verification and Cross-border Electronic Invoicing.
This new system will enforce strict rules that importers must comply with before their goods reach Philippine borders.
Following the recently issued administrative order, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said all involved agencies can now start collaborating to enhance border protection through digitalization.
“This will certainly go a long way in putting an end to smuggling, misdeclaration, and undervaluation. This will not only ensure that our consumers are protected from counterfeit and substandard goods, but also help us collect much-needed revenues for our people,” Recto stressed.
Latest data from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) showed that a total of 1,572 smuggled goods, amounting to P84.36 billion, were seized last year. With this, Recto assured that the government “will ensure the smooth and swift implementation of AO 23.”
According to the DOF, the administrative order “simplifies customs procedures and expedites the inspection of all imported goods in the Philippines,” resulting in stronger border security and protection for consumers against substandard products.
DOF likewise said that the initiative emphasizes the “importance of ensuring imported goods comply with Philippine safety and quality standards, promoting transparency through a single electronic invoicing system, and enhancing inter-agency coordination for effective trade monitoring.
It also noted that the directive aligns with the administration’s 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda of enhancing bureaucratic efficiency “by streamlining government processes and ensuring transparency in public service delivery.”
Members of the CPTVCEI include the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Representatives from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry Organization of the Philippines (CPIOPI) are also part of the CPTVCEI.