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

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

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

USAID has supported theASEAN Single Window (ASW) initiative since early 2008 and is workingtogether with the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASW Steering Committee toget the private sector involved early in its development.

“Weare working with Oracle and USABC to provide ASEAN with critical privatesector input so that the end product reflects a real public-partnershipfor trade."

Oracle Corporation would contributeits expertise of IT platforms and its understanding in diagnosingbusiness processes to help gather private sector input.

"We are astrong supporter of the ASEAN’s vision for the single window and thebenefits it will bring to business", said K Raman, Oracle RegionalManaging Director – ASEAN.

"The Single Window is agame changer for ASEAN. It will greatly increase the ease of doingbusiness across ASEAN and allow for further connectivity gains for theregion", said Alexander Feldman, President of the US-ASEAN BusinessCouncil.

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