Players, goods allowed in Barter Trade System to be identified

IDENTIFICATION of barter players and goods allowed in the Barter Trade System comprehensive policy guidelines will be up for discussion next month.

Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) deputy executive director Romeo Montenegro told reporters that this will be presented before the Mindanao Barter Council for deliberations.

“Once finalized and implementable na siya, that is the time na i-enforce na siya as guidelines in the area. So what do we expect to happen? First is to identify who are the barter players and what goods are being brought in sa barter trading,” Montenegro said.

“[This] is so they are identified and ma-assess whether ang value will not exceed [but just] within the allowed amount in the barter trade mechanism,” he added.

Montenegro also said policy guidelines will be complemented with the policy on the mode of transport. In previous report, Minda reiterated the need for non-conventional trade vessels and traders to be registered and accredited for security and monitoring purposes.

Meanwhile, Montenegro said along with its implementation is the need to set-up an office and hiring of people who will man the barter trade activities.

“Now, there is no office, no structure, and no people are monitoring it. Ang naa lang sa lugar is the Bureau of Customs, but it only covers the normal course of import and export,” he said.

“Barter trade kasi is a smaller scale wherein the requirements are not as stringent,” he added.

The revival of the Barter Trade System in Mindanao is under the issued Executive Order (EO) no. 64 of President Rodrigo Duterte in November 2018 to provide income to small communities and help secure the border of Mindanao against illegal trade and activities.

Montengero said barter trading is the traditional mode of trading across the border, however, there is still a need to set for regulations, framework, taxation. Thus, the target discussion of its policy guidelines on September this year.