President Duterte has created the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee to represent the country before the World Trade Organization (WTO) to streamline and improve Customs procedures in the country.
In issuing Executive Order (EO) 136, President Duterte explained that the formation of the committee is in compliance with the provision of the WTO-Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO-TFA), which was signed by the country in 2016 and entered into force in 2017.
The accord mandates its signatories to have such a committee to “facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation” of its provisions.
The body would be headed jointly by the Department of Finance and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The Bureau of Customs will serve as the vice chair of the committee, and its members would include the Departments of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, Transportation, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), Tariff Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations, DTI-Bureau of Import Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
The initial funding for the operation of the committee will be charged to current appropriations of the member-agencies, but for succeeding years its budget should be incorporated in the annual outlay of each member-agencies.
Among the responsibilities of the committee is to present proposals on trade regulations and assurance to the Neda Board. It will also enable micro, small, and medium enterprise to participate more actively.
EO 136 took effect after it was signed by the President last Tuesday, but the EO was only made public on Thursday.
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