The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Text and photo by Tracy Cabrera
RIZAL PARK, Manila — Mindful of the prevailing energy crisis and the government’s need to stabilize the country’s economy, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) has accelerated its push for a fully digital, data-driven customs administration that would significantly lessen if not eliminate smuggling and corruption within the agency.
Speaking before a media forum at the posh Rizal Park Hotel, Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno presented the agency’s reform agenda which aims to modernize the services offered by the Bureau through digitalization.
According to Nepomuceno, the modernization initiative is anchored on “strengthening the BoC’s fiscal compliance, transparency and seamless government processes” which would pave the way for a competitive business environment that eliminates irregularities and corruption.
Currently, the Bureau’s reforms are making trade faster, simpler and more transparent—benefiting businesses, traders, importers and exporters and even ordinary Filipinos.
The Customs chief disclosed that at the heart of the modernization agenda is the Integrated Customs Processing System (CPS), an AI-enabled platform that will replace the legacy E2M system with end-to-end automated processing for imports, exports, transits, risk assessment and digital payments.
“The CPS will create a fully paperless, transparent, and compliant trade environment. The project is now progressing without any monetary obligation from the government because it is being done through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework between the BoC and a private proponent,” Nepomuceno pointed out.
He added that they are also establishing a centralized Customs Data Lake and interoperability platform that would consolidate trade data, provide real-time insights and strengthen coordination with other government agencies.
Moreover, customs transactions, he cited, are now becoming simpler for businesses and the public through the expansion of the agency’s digital services through the OneClient Portal. “Traders and stakeholders can now receive real-time updates on their shipments, benefit from pre-arrival processing and easily access regulations and performance dashboards. These improvements help reduce waiting times and make interactions with customs more transparent and predictable, among others,” he underscored.
“These initiatives are about more than technology upgrades. Through digital transformation, we are building a faster, smarter, and more accountable customs administration that makes doing business easier, protects government revenue, and serves every Filipino with integrity,” he asserted.