More trade regulatory government agencies (TRGAs) are expected to join the government’s new national single window (NSW) called TradeNet by the end of this year and in 2021, according to a Department of Finance (DOF) official.

Angelica Sarmiento, director IV of the DOF, said two agencies have already gone live on the TradeNet platform and “two more will be joining by the end of this year.”

“And for the rest of the trade regulating agencies, we’re expecting them to be onboarded fully in the platform by 2021,” Sarmiento said during a November 5 online forum organized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

She added that the TradeNet website (TradeNet.gov.ph) is also set for launching next week.

For the public, TradeNet is a cloud-based single entry point where trade customers can submit information and documents to government agencies in order to comply with import and export requirements.

For government agencies, TradeNet is an automated licensing, permit, clearance, and certification system integrated into one digital platform and which connects them to one another to make their processes interoperable.

Sarmiento said there are 76 TRGAs involved in the processing, issuance, and monitoring of import/export documents prior to customs clearance that are set to join TradeNet until next year.

Of these, 45 are regulatory agencies that regulate commodities processing and issue import/export permits, clearances and authorizations, while 20 are monitoring agencies that monitor the entry of the goods being regulated by other agencies. The rest consists of 11 eco zones that issue permits for importers and exporters in the economic zones.

TradeNet is also the connecting portal of the Philippines to the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) and other regional trading platforms.

It was created as the Philippines’ national single window under Executive Order No. 482 as part of the country’s commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

TradeNet will eventually replace the NSW Phase 1 currently being operated by the BOC.

However, Jonathan Soriano of the BOC’s Management Information System and Technology Group said during the forum that the TRGAs will still need to undergo the onboarding process to enable their permits and licenses to be incorporated into TradeNet.

Onboarding has five stages: beginning; refinement; approval/final; go live; and monitoring, evaluation and sustainability stages.

Once an agency has been onboarded, the public can already use TradeNet to transact with this agency.

“While that is not yet complete, you can use the National Single Window being operated by the Bureau of Customs,” he advised.

“Right now you can use TradeNet for the PDEA’s [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] non-mixed chemicals and BOC’s electronic certificate of origin. The rest, we should still use the National Single Window Phase 1.”

Meanwhile Soriano said the regional implementation of the exchange of electronic sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) certificates on the ASEAN Single Window is still up for discussion next year.

He said the implementation guide is currently being finalized “after which SPS transmission will be tested among ASEAN member states.”

“During the last ASEAN Steering Committee meeting held last October it was reported that most ASEAN member states are still not ready to transmit or test SPS [certificates]. It was agreed that SPS implementation will be discussed in 2021,” he said.