The Philippine government plans to implement in Mindanao over the next few months an automated export documentation system (AEDS) for various industries in a bid to further enhance the shipment of local products, such as canned tuna to the international markets.
Sheryl Santos, policy officer of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Development Council (EDC), said the computerized system is now being introduced in Cebu and would soon be implemented in various tuna companies and ports based in Mindanao. “We hope to roll this out in all industries and in all other ports in the country over the next two years,†she said.
Santos said the automation system, which is part of the ongoing initiatives of the EDC to streamline export policies and procedures, would be a big boost to Mindanao’s export sector especially those engaged in tuna exports in the city. Through the AEDS, she said transactions regarding shipments would be drastically reduced as local exporters would now be able to file details of their export declarations from the comfort of their homes or offices. The exporters could then bring their shipment to the Bureau of Customs (BoC), Santos said.
AEDS operates through the use of the frame relay communications network of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company which links exporters to the offices of the PEZA, BoC and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Under the system, exporters just have to enter the details of their export transaction in a single administrative document (SAD) and the details will be reflected in the three offices.
Details in the SAD, which takes less than a minute to fill out and send, would comprise three documents if the transaction were done manually. Documents which used to be manually filled out were about eight to 10 copies of export declaration, boat note, and export tally.
To complement the impending implementation of the AEDS in Mindanao, Santos said EDC is now reviewing the implementing rules and regulation of Presidential Decree 930 that spells out the customs procedures on export documentation.