SA pagtatapos ng termino ng administrasyong Duterte, kasa­bay nang ipinasa ni Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero ang pamumuno sa Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Customs Directors-General of Customs sa bansang Singapore.

Sa ginanap na 31st regular meeting ng nasabing grupong binubuo ng mga katuwang na bansang Asyano, pormal na isinalin ni Guerrero ang chairmanship kay Ho Chee Pong, Director-General ng Singapore Customs.

“The Philippine Customs is honored to officially turn over the emblem of authority and responsibility of the ASEAN Customs Chairmanship to the able hand of Mr. Ho Chee Pong, Director-General of Singapore Customs and Chairperson of the 31st Meeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs. Rest assured, the Philippines stands hand-in-hand with the ASEAN Member States as we faithfully continue to pursue the vision, mission, and aspirations of the ASEAN Customs,” ayon kay outgoing Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief.

Malugod namang pinasalamatan at tinanggap ni Director General Ho ang hamong kalakip ng ipinasang responsibilidad na hinawakan ni Guerrero mula Hunyo ng nakalipas na taon.

“I would like to convey my appreciation to the outgoing Chair, Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero of the Philippines Bureau of Customs on your successful and excellent chairmanship of the ASEAN Directors – General of Customs Meeting in the past one year. Under your able chairmanship, the ASEAN Customs community has made significant progress on various initiatives to enhance cooperation and integration among ASEAN Member States.”

Matapos ang pagsasalin ng pwesto, tinalakay sa nasabing pulong ang mga naisakatuparang programang naglalayon ng kolektibong pagkilos sa larangan ng kalakalan – Coordinating Committee on Customs (CCC), Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation Working Group (CPTFWG), Customs Enforcement and Compliance Working Group (CECWG) at Customs Capacity Building Working Group (CCBWG).

Sa ilalim ng liderato ni Guerrero, pinagtibay ang ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) 2022; epektibong pagpapatupad ng ASEAN Customs Transit System (ACTS), Joint Action Plan on the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of the ASEAN Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, ang real-time data exchange ng ASEAN Customs Declaration Document at regular na dayalogo sa mga katuwang na stakeholders para sa isahang pagkilos gamit ang trade connectivity. (JOEL AMONGO)