Sixth symposium on ASEAN Single Window held online hinh anh 1Participants in the symposium (Photo: Asean.org)
Jakarta (VNA) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) held the sixth symposium on the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) on April 4 to further boost the private sector's engagement and expand the use of ASW to enhance trade efficiency.

Entitled “Reflecting on Progress and Looking toward the Future”, the virtual forum highlighted ASW achievements and presented updates on the 2022 priority actions and the plans for 2023 to more than 200 government officials, private sector leaders, and trade community representatives from the ASEAN member states.

Speaking at the event, ASEAN Secretariat’s Director of Market Integration Directorate Dr Le Quang Lan said that the event serves as a platform for ASEAN government officials, trade experts, and the private sector to share their views, insights, and recommendations on the best practices of trade digitalisation.

“The United States is proud to work together with ASEAN to help its members operationalise the ASEAN Single Window, and we are excited about the future that includes further integrating ASEAN’s single window with the single window in the United States,” said Kate Rebholz, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the US Mission to ASEAN.

Participants were informed that ASEAN member states joined the ASW Live Operation which enabled the granting of preferential tariff treatment based on the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) electronic Certificate of Origin (e-Form D) exchanged through the ASW.

This step has brought impactful and tangible results to ASEAN businesses with more than 1 million e-Form D exchanged in 2022 and an estimated saving of 6 million number of days of business operation which has led to a cost saving of 150 million USD.

Participants also learned that ASEAN is ready to phase out the issuance of the hard-copy and only adopt e-Form D as part of the priority economic deliverables in 2023 as well as the expanded the scope of the ASW to enable exchange of the ASEAN Customs Declaration Document (ACDD) and electronic Phytosanitary (e-Phyto) certificates./.
VNA