Inilunsad ng Bureau of Customs, Department of Finance TRADENET Project Management Office at ang Tariff Commission ang kauna-unahang ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) Classification at Identification Workshop.

Mahigit sa 70 ang mga lumahok mula sa limang Trade Regulatory Government Agencies (TRGAs) na kinabibilangan ng Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Food and Drug Administration(FDA), Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) at Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).

Nakiisa ang mga nabanggit na ibang ahensiya upang kanilang lalo pang masuri at mapag-aralan kung paano uriin ang mga regulated goods base sa kung ano ang kalakaran sa international standards.

Ang mga kinatawan mula sa Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Import Services (DTI-BIS) at World Bank – International Finance Corporation (WB-IFC) ay nakiisa rin sa nasabing Workshop para tiyakin na ang Philippine National Trade Repository (PNTR) ay nakalinya sa kasalukuyang regulasyon at polisya ng bawat isang TRGAs.

Sa kanyang welcome remarks, agad na binigyang diin ni Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero na:

“Tariff classification is a highly specialized process of determining the correct tariff code and duty rates of imported and exported goods. The identification of correct codes will not only benefit Customs in our mandate to collect lawful revenues, but will also be relevant for statistical purposes, origin management, and more importantly for setting a common reference of import and export restrictions.”

Ang Tariff Commission, ay iprinesenta ni Dir. Elvira C. Ignacio, Ms. Ruth A. Polo at Ms. Madonna C. Villeno, at ibinahagi ang kanilang kagalingan sa pagpapaliwanag sa ‘Tariff Classification Procedures, General Rules on the Interpretation of the Harmonized System, and the Coverage of Chemical Sector in the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN)’.

Tiniyak ng Bureau of Customs magpapatuloy sila sa kanilang gawain na may kaugnayan sa ‘bodies to ensure full coordination and compliance’ ng TRGAs sa mandatory onboarding sa TRADENET platform bilang required ng Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council.
(Joel O. Amongo)