THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is pushing for the mandatory inclusion of government agencies regulating trade to a platform run by the Department of Finance (DoF) by the end of the year.

“By the end of 2020, ARTA seeks the mandatory on-boarding of trade regulatory government agencies involved in the issuance of licenses, permits, clearances and certifications for movement (import-export-transit) of cargo to the Department of Finance’s TradeNet System,” ARTA said in a statement Thursday.

TradeNet — connected through the TRADENET.gov.ph platform — is the customs and trade online platform linking the Philippines to the ASEAN Single Window. This online platform allows trade-related transactions and document exchange within Southeast Asia.

The Philippines joined the ASEAN Single Window in December. The DoF has said the window is expected to reduce communications costs and encourage small enterprises to make use of preferential tariffs under an ASEAN trade agreement.

The government plans to connect 76 regulatory agencies across 18 departments to TradeNet.

The platform is designed to simplify trade processes for around 7,400 regulated products. — Jenina P. Ibañez

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