THE government should implement measures that streamline processes to facilitate trade amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak to ensure that the country’s external sector would rebound quickly, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said on Wednesday. According to the NEDA chief, relevant government agencies should consider measures that would streamline procedures and facilitate trade, and reduce transaction costs. He cited measures that were instituted to remove administrative constraints on imports of agricultural products under Administrative Order 13 series of 2019. The government, in coordination with exporters, can also facilitate the identification of new sources and markets, as well as diversification of its products to manage vulnerabilities, he added. Inbound shipments grew by 1 percent to $9.28 billion year-on-year, while outbound ones increased by 9.7 percent to $5.78 billion.

Source: Manila Times March 11, 2020 18:33 UTC