US agencies and corporations have teamed up to help ASEAN increase the electronic cross-border exchange of cargo clearance data to further promote the realisation of the group’s Single Window initiative.

A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was inked by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Oracle Corporation, and the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), according to the USABC’s press release dated Oct. 19.

"The traders are the end users of the single window system," said Olivier Carduner, Director of USAID’s Regional Development Mission to Asia .

USAID has supported the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) initiative since early 2008 and is working together with the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASW Steering Committee to get the private sector involved early in its development.

“We are working with Oracle and USABC to provide ASEAN with critical private sector input so that the end product reflects a real public-partnership for trade."

Oracle Corporation would contribute its expertise of IT platforms and its understanding in diagnosing business processes to help gather private sector input.

"We are a strong supporter of the ASEAN’s vision for the single window and the benefits it will bring to business", said K Raman, Oracle Regional Managing Director – ASEAN.

"The Single Window is a game changer for ASEAN. It will greatly increase the ease of doing business across ASEAN and allow for further connectivity gains for the region", said Alexander Feldman, President of the US-ASEAN Business Council.

He added: "We will continue to advocate for the ASW at the national and regional levels as part of our official dialogues with the ASEAN Economic Ministers."./.