The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) marked a significant milestone through the official signing of the Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) on Access to the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo (E-TRACC) system. This agreement symbolizes the enhanced efficiency and security of trade and operations within economic zones in the Philippines.
By utilizing information from BOC’s E-TRACC System, PEZA can track containerized cargoes and people inside and outside economic zones in real-time. The efficiency, accessibility, and safety of freight movement to and from these zones are anticipated to increase due to this collaboration. The agreement emphasizes data privacy, security, storage, and retention of sensitive information.
Both the BOC and PEZA highlight their dedication to upholding data privacy laws and safeguarding private information. They will observe that tight controls are in place to ensure that sensitive information is only used for the intended objectives.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio and Director General Tereso O. Panga, together with BOC Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG) Deputy Commissioner Vener S. Baquiran and PEZA Deputy Director General for Operations Vivian S. Santos inked the DSA last 05 September 2023.
The Export Development Council through the Networking Committee on Trade Policies and Procedures Simplification (NCTPPS) has championed this advocacy in support to its objective to streamline export systems and processes in order to shorten procedures, turnaround time, number of steps, and maximize the use of digitalization. AGPM