ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 158 – ORDERING THE FAST-TRACKING OF THE COMPUTERIZATION OF EXPORT-RELATED PROCESSES OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7844, otherwise known as the Export Development Act of 1994, declared that it shall be the policy of the State to evolve export development into a national effort and that government shall champion exports as a focal strategy for a sustainable agri-industrial development;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Export Development Plan of 2005-2007 has identified as policy imperatives, the simplification of procedures related to exports and implementation of digital trading systems;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 428 mandates the simplification of rules and regulations and the reduction of reportorial requirements to facilitate doing business and encourage more investments in the country;

WHEREAS, the EDC, in its meeting last 17 may 2006 identified the fast-tracking of the computerization of government agencies involved in export-related processes as one solution to reduce cost exporters;

NOW, THEREFORE, I GLORIA MACPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order the fast-tracking of the computerization of all government agencies involved in export processes as listed in the annex to this Order:

Section 1. All government agencies involved in export processes as listed in the annex of this Order shall fast-track their computerization projects.

Sec. 2. The Export Development Council shall form and chair a Technical Group (TWG) to review and study the processes of government agencies, specially those that affect that flow of export transactions and identify ways to fact-tract their computerization.

Sec. 3. All government agencies involved in export-related processes are hereby enjoined to report and present the status of their computerization to the TWD.

Sec. 4. All Executive Order or issuances, or portion thereof, which are inconsistent with this Administrative Order are hereby revoked, emended or modified accordingly.

Sec. 5. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA

Executive Secretary