MANILA, Philippines -- Enterprise software company Oracle will develop an application that would automate importation processes conducted by the Bureau of Customs.

The software firm recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the BOC. The agreement involves doing a "proof of concept" with the customs agency, according to an Oracle executive.

Alexander Arevalo, BOC deputy commissioner, said the partnership with Oracle is in line with its ongoing project to create a "single window" that will integrate more than 40 government agencies.

The project's goal is to automate paperwork involved in the import and export of goods in and out of the country. Arevalo said they hope to start a pilot by the end of the year.

"There is no software of this kind anywhere yet and Oracle has volunteered to develop it for us," Arevalo said in an interview with INQUIRER.net.

Oracle's intent, according to Arevalo, is to develop a commercially available "off-the-shelf" packaged software that can be potentially sold for public sector end-users worldwide.

"The other agencies connect to the system through the BOC. But internally, they don't have software that automates processes tasks like permit processing," said Arevalo.

The BOC has been in talks with Oracle for about a year before formalizing the partnership around two weeks ago.

Arevalo, meanwhile, is also leading an ASEAN initiative to create a similar regional customs system that connects different countries including the Philippines.