Customs eyes full digitalization next year
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is expecting to fully digitalize its processes and operations by the first quarter of next year to improve efficiency and curb corruption in the government.
Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said the BOC is on track in the system overhaul in the agency to increase productivity and efficiency.
Already 91 percent or 155 out of 170 Customs processes have already been automated to boost trade facilitation and ensure transparent delivery of government services.
“The remaining customs processes that we need to digitalize, we need to address some court orders. Hopefully, we can resolve this if not this last quarter, maybe by the first quarter of next year,” Ruiz told reporters.
“I have to be fast on this because the President gave very specific instructions to go full digitalization and streamline customs processes,” he said.
Currently, the World Bank is supporting the digitalization of the BOC through an $88.28 million financing for the Philippine Customs Modernization Program.
“What I’m targeting is that hopefully by the first quarter, we could start to implement [the remaining nine percent]. It’s not a one-time implementation, this will be in tranches,” Ruiz said.
“This is funded by the World Bank, we are not handling any funds, but what we do is we identify those systems and the World Bank will be the one to look for the suppliers of the systems,” he said.
The Customs chief stressed the agency would continue to push for its digitalization efforts until it achieves a fully-automated customs procedure.
Ruiz noted that doing so would make international trade transactions more efficient and transparent while improving regulatory compliance.
Finance chief Benjamin Diokno has been reiterating that digitalization is needed to transform and eradicate corruption within the government’s revenue agencies.
In its campaign against corruption, the BOC has transferred 3,855 employees, served show-cause orders to 1,407 personnel, filed 183 administrative cases, transmitted 164 complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman, relieved 192 employees, and dismissed 24 from the service.
Earlier this year, the BOC completed a national action plan for cross-border paperless trade. It has also enrolled in various integrity enhancement and moral transformation programs.
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