PEZA, BOC strengthen collaborations for facilitation of ease of doing business

PEZA, BOC strengthen collaborations for facilitation of ease of doing business

Pasay City – The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has reached out to the new Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner to strengthen its ties with this prominent partner since the time of the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), PEZA’s predecessor, in earnest efforts to enhance trade facilitation and logistics efficiency in the economic zones.

 

“PEZA is one with the BOC and other participants in the local supply and global value chains in enhancing the ecozone business ecosystem and our overall competitiveness to make the Philippines a viable investment destination in the region,” said OIC and Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning Tereso Panga. 

 

The PEZA team recently met with Acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Ruiz, and to Customs Collectors assigned in the PEZA zones—namely Collector Alex Go for Cavite and NCR, and Collector Marife Recinto for Laguna—in order to build on the agencies’ partnership in terms of increasing logistics efficiency and supply chain management, and other measures for continual improvement.

PEZA Team headed by OIC Panga with the BOC Team led by Acting Commissioner Ruiz following

a successful meeting at the BOC Office last Friday, September 16

Panga shared that PEZA and the BOC have discussed various pressing concerns among registered enterprises such as: 

• Use of single General Transport Surety Bonds (GTSB) for ecozone importations and interzone transfer of goods between PEZA-registered enterprises; 
• Adoption of selective and risk-based approach for shipments to be covered by electronic tracking using e-seal under the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo (e-TRACC); 
• Integration of PEZA Electronic Import Permit System (EIPS) and Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) to the BOC Electronic-to-Mobile (E2M) system for increased security and transparency in the processing and monitoring of import and export permits/documents; and 
• Basis of computation of tax and duties on the disposal of enterprises’ assets pursuant to the CREATE Act (net book value as reference). 

 

Over the years, PEZA had introduced the electronic import permit and automated export documentation system for ecozone locators. Soon thereafter, BOC pursued the “National Single Window”—a computerized internet-based system 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. 

 

“It is important to strengthen partnership between PEZA and BOC given their respective roles in investment and trade facilitation that are being improved towards digital transformation,” noted the PEZA OIC. 

 

According to Panga, “In response to President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s call for digital transformation among government offices and in line with the priority program of Trade Secretary Pascual under the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) cluster of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) strategic plan, PEZA has rolled out its online payment system and initiated other office automation projects 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,” the PEZA interim chief noted. #