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By Rea Cu, October 11 2018; Business Mirror

https://businessmirror.com.ph/boc-bolsters-electronic-to-mobile-program-to-protect-data/

Image Credit to Rappler

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued a memorandum order to further strengthen its “electronic-to-mobile” (E2M) program to help maintain the integrity of customs data and prevent unauthorized access to customs systems and applications.

Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 15-2018 establishes an E2M user-access policy, emphasizing the importance of access and use of the BOC’s systems and applications, as well as protecting data from possible threats and abuses.

“This policy defines the BOC expectations of users who have been granted access to the E2M systems and other customs applications,” the CMO said.

The CMO seeks to help ensure the BOC has adequate controls to restrict and regulate access to its systems; establish the standard procedures for managing the access to the E2M system; instill user accountability when accessing the system; monitor and account all access granted to all users of the system; and conduct regular audit, evaluation and provide recommendations to address any weaknesses within the system.

“This memorandum order shall cover all persons with access to the BOC’s E2M systems, their related applications and data stored and processed in and through it,” it added. Users covered by CMO 15-2018 are BOC organic personnel, accredited value-added service providers and their respective agents, government agencies and all other persons that access the E2M system.

The deputy commissioner for the BOC’s Management Information Systems and Technology Group is the approving authority to grant access to the system. Access right to the systems will be reviewed at least every three months to determine dormant accounts as well as accounts with excessive privileges.

In 2011, the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) released a memorandum urging exporters to register to the customs E2M system to avoid transaction and shipment delays.

The E2M system is in line with the automation program thrust of the BOC, and seeks to further facilitate trade in the country and simplify customs procedure.

In 2009, some forwarders and brokers experienced difficulties and system failures when they used the E2M system specifically to those traders going through the Manila International Container Port. Technical failure was cited as a problem when going through the E2M system.

In line with streamlining process in terms of import and export permits, the Department of Finance (DOF) also implemented the TradeNet.gov.phsystem.

TradeNet, the government’s digital import and export permit platform, aims to link 76 trade regulatory government agencies (TRGAs) through a common database and shorten the processing of transactions for import and export clearances.

The system is expected to minimize the costs of doing business and cut the processing time for the issuance of import and export permits.

The platform will also serve as the Philippines’s link to the Asean Single Window (ASW), a regional initiative that aims to speed up cargo clearances and promote economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the organization’s 10 member-states. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are already using the ASW to exchange information on customs clearances.

In 2016, the DOF secured a P21.5-million grant from the German development bank KfW Group to help implement TradeNet. TradeNet aims to connect 66 agencies and 10 economic zonesm including the BOC, involved in approving import and export permits and other trading requirements.