MANILA,
Philippines - The Philippines’ overall
ranking in the Global Enabling Trade Report 2012 rose 20 places to 72nd this
year from 92nd in 2010.
The
Global Enabling Trade Report 2012, which was published by the World Economic
Forum (WEF), measures the factors, policies, and services that facilitate the
trade in goods across the borders of 132 countries. It includes the areas of
market access, border administration, transport and communication infrastructure,
and business environment.
Each
area consists of pillars and indicators that assess the different aspects of a
country’s trade environment. The country’s ranking in the area of market access
rose 50 notches from 64th in 2010 to 14th this year.
“It’s been
a long time coming, we’re happy with the results, it shows that all our efforts
this past two years are starting to payoff.” Secretary Gregory Domingo said in
response to the results of the survey.
Domingo
attributed the improvement in ranking to efforts to facilitate trade across
borders such as the Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA) awareness
campaign that aims to help stakeholders understand the emerging and new markets
as well as instruments such as free trade agreements (FTAs).
“We
involve everyone. We’re trying to spread the word to our people to be able to
use the FTAs,” he said.
DBFTA
sessions will be held in key cities in the country this year. Each session will
include presentations on market opportunities, including non-tariff measures,
country’s FTA markets, tariff rates of top exports for sectors under the FTAs,
rules of origin, an open forum, as well as business testimonials. Help desks
will also be made available after each session to provide assistance to
interested exporters and importers.
Domingo
said other initiatives are already in place to bring down trade barriers, such
as the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), which is a component of the progressive
schemes on customs development shared by the 10-member ASEAN bloc. Among its
pivotal role is the formulation and implementation of rules and procedures for
trade facilitation.
Recently,
the Philippines was chosen to chair the ASEAN Single Window Steering Committee
to supervise ASW’s forthcoming projects and activities.
DTI is
also pursuing reforms to improve the ease of doing business in the country. “We
are continuing to work on things including the Philippine Business Registry
(PBR)… and the BPLS (Business Permits and License Streamlining) of LGUs,” said
Domingo.
The
Philippine Business Registry was launched last January to speed up the business
registration process and is now available in all DTI field offices nationwide
for new single proprietorship registration.
The
DTI, meanwhile, through the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) will
conduct quality and productivity courses on food this month.
From
June 7 to 8, the PTTC will conduct a course on the documentation of the food
safety management system (FSMS) based on the standards of the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 220000: 2005. This course will discuss
how to ensure the proper documentation of the FSMS in businesses.
For
this course, the participants should be familiar with the ISO 220000: 2005
standards and its pre-requisite programs.
The
PTTC will also conduct a seminar on the application of the hazard analysis and
critical control points (HACCP) from June 21 to 22, 2012. The HACCP is an
internationally recognized and accepted system that ensures product safety.
Through this course, participants can learn how to identify and assess hazards
in the food production process and put in place the appropriate preventive
control measures.
Participants
should be familiar with pre-requisite programs such as the current Good
Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and the Sanitation Standard Operating Practices
(SSOP).
For
these courses, food handlers, food safety personnel, trainers, consultants,
academicians, and owners, managers, and supervisors of food processing
companies, food establishments, stores, and commissaries are encouraged to
participate.
Czeriza
Valencia
The
Philippine Star
Business & Investment Opportunities
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