The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Department of Trade and Industry-Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for bolstering the implementation of Republic Act No. 10697, also known as the Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA), in the Philippines.
The MOA signifies a steadfast dedication to implementing stringent and efficient national regulations for strategic trade, aligning with UN Security Council Resolution No. 1540. This resolution encourages UN Member States to take action and create local rules to thwart the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and the means to deliver them through strategic trade management.
Salient features of the MOA includes capacity-building assistance for the BOC to improve its expertise in strategic goods and to facilitate improved collaboration between the BOC and the STMO. This partnership includes data sharing, risk management, streamlining of trade processes, and monitoring collaborative efforts.
The BOC highlighted that the agreement corresponds with their core mandates: strengthening border control, improving trade facilitation, and increasing fair tax collection. It establishes a future in which strategic trade control processes speed up clearances, reduce transaction time and costs, and maintain effective strategic trade control levels.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio led the signing, together with Dr. Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Undersecretary of the DTI-Industry Development Trade and Promotions Group, and Atty. Janice Sacedon-Dimayacyac, Director of the DTI-STMO. The momentous event was witnessed by key officials from the BOC, including Atty. Vener S. Baquiran, Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau’s Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG), and Atty. Clarence S. Dizon, Director for Port Operations Services. AGPM