Customs and UN forge tie up for digital trade facilitation

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Customs bureau has tapped a United Nations (UN) body in improving its digital trade facilitation measures by exploring the implementation of an electronic trade data exchange system.

I n a news statement, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it is now collaborating with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) for a feasibility study on the electronic exchange of traderelated data and documents in the Philippines.

T he BOC said the collaboration falls under the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific or CPTA, which aims to “expedite” the implementation of digital facilitation measures for trade and development by various countries, including the Philippines.

T he BOC explained that BOC National Trade Facilitation

Champions met with UNESCAP for a consultative session where the former shared their inputs and experience related to the proposed electronic exchange system.

“ The study delves into a comprehensive analysis of the technological capabilities, legal frameworks, and operational requirements necessary for the implementation of electronic trade data exchange,” the BOC said.

Furthermore, it aims to identify potential challenges and risks and develop effective strategies to mitigate them,” it added.

C ustoms Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio reiterated the bureau’s commitment to facilitating trade and ensuring “efficient” and “effective” movement of goods across borders. We believe that the implementation of paperless trade will not only help us achieve these objectives but also enhance transparency and reduce expenses,” Rubio said.

SRA gathers data for May sugar import requirement

By Raadee S. Sausa @raadeeboy

THE Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is currently determining the actual volume of sugar that needs to be procured by the end of this month, an official said on Tuesday.

T he directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was to ensure that the final import volume must be based on latest supply report with a provision that it should not be more than 150,000 metric tons (MT).

In a statement, Pablo Azcona, SRA Acting Administrator said that this would include already the additional buffer volume of 100,000 MT, especially if the delay in the opening of mills to September 2023 instead of August to increase productivity is factored in.

“ We would like to assure our sugar stakeholders that we will carefully study supply condition before we peg the final figure,” he said.

But I am sure that everyone is aware that among the causes of a big drop in refined sugar production for this crop year was partly because of shortened refining operations due to lack of bagasse that fuels the mills, caused by massive rains, particularly in Negros Island, which provides more than half of our country’s sugar produce,” Azcona added.

Moreover, the SRA chief said that as of May 7, only 11 of 24 sugar mills are still in operation and the SRA has been informed that many of these will close down by the end of this month already, because of the fact that they opened in August also.

“We must also be reminded that we had the sudden closure of the Central Azucarera de Don Pedro, which also affected local supply,” Azcona added.

He said, the actual production in the same period has been pegged at 1.7 MT, and SRA is looking at another 20,000 MT from remaining mills that are in operation, which is way below the forecasted demand of 2.2 million metric tons.

Needless to say, we will soon be conducting consultations with various stakeholders on what we can do in preparation for the next milling season to improve productivity toward self-sufficiency,” Azcona said.

“ We may strongly consider delaying the opening of the milling season as part of the solution,” he added.

On Monday, May 22, Negros Occidental 5th district Rep. Dino Yulo urged the SRA to take a second look at the overall quantity of sugar to be imported by the government.

Personally, I would like SRA to revisit the proposal and take a look at the figures,” he said adding, “We already imported a total of 440,000 MT of sugar plus 150,000 MT.” Yulo, a former SRA board member, said that what is important is that sugar producers have recovered in this particular crop year.

We hope that trend continues. It is important for us to effectively manage the supply and demand,” he pointed out. S en. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said that the price of sugar in the market is unlikely to drop to its previous low level despite the order issued by President Marcos to import an additional 150,000 MT.

T he senator has expressed her beliefthatsugarpriceswillremainhighas long as the government restricts sugar imports to only three companies.

She stated, “According to reports, the President instructed the SRA board members to import additional sugar. The President seems to be solving the wrong problem.”

97 computer sets to boost SPLIT project implementation in CAR

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recently received computer sets with printers as it gears up to go full blast with the implementation of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project. DAR-CAR is expected to distribute individual electronic land titles (e-titles) to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the area as part of SPLIT.

I n a statement, DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III said that with the new computer sets, SPLIT officers are expected to work more efficiently and complete their tasks at a faster pace.

“ The logistics support is in line with the marching order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to expedite the distribution of land titles to the ARBs,” he said.

The SPLIT project intends to fasttrack land subdivisions of Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CCLOAs) and eventually issue individual land titles to the ARBs who were previously awarded lands and collective CLOAs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Jonathan L. Mayuga