Phl Customs chief to head the Asean Single Window Steering Committee

Tuesday 22nd of May 2012

QUEZON CITY, MAY 22 (PIA) -- The Philippines was chosen to chair the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) Steering Committee, which will formulate and implement rules promoting trade facilitation within the region.

Representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have picked Customs Deputy Commissioner Ma. Caridad Manarang as the new ASW Steering Committee chair to supervise its forthcoming projects and activities.

Prior to the selection of the Philippines, three countries were considered to head the ASW Steering Committee – Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

The steering committee meeting and the election of its chair were held in Singapore last month.

ASW is a component of the progressive schemes on customs development shared by nations within the ASEAN perimeter of responsibility.

Among the committee's roles is to formulate and implement rules and procedures for trade facilitation among Asean member-countries.

ASEAN ASW Steering Committee meet regularly to brief ASEAN counterparts on the business arrangements on the adoption of their chosen agenda.

In a news releases, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said, activities and work program of the ASW steering committee are tackled as proposed by the ASEAN Secretariat and thresh out the terms of reference on regulatory matters, standardization of data and documentation, business process and work flow and its application.

“Other areas of concern are the capacity building program and pilot projects to be conducted where member countries may wish to discuss implementation of pilot projects of ASW with the support of ASEAN dialogue partners,” it said. (BOC/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)