e-Modernization of Palestinian Customs to Boost Trade

Palestinian Customs in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had fully adopted the latest version of ASYCUDA’s web-based application to expedite the international trade processes of its country, said the UNCTAD press release. ASYCUDA, the Automated System for Customs Data is a software designed to strengthen Customs administrations across the globe to comprehensively monitor and streamline the complex international trade processes.

About 90 countries use ASYCUDA software and the Palestinian Customs has become one among the 10 Customs administrations in the world that has adopted the third generation and latest version called ASYCUDA WORLD. The Customs’ application that is known as TAWASOL in Palestine is expected to enhance the Palestinian capability for risk management, post-auditing, reduction of fraud and smuggling, and the generation of data to inform public policy and increase customs and tax revenues.

The new system that makes the whole trade process in an electronic single-window and single-file system, in line with international standards and the rules of the World Customs Organization is likely to benefit the exporters and importers of Palestine immensely. Besides, the Palestinian customs clearance agents and private companies engaged in international trade are able to complete all processes through on-line, without visiting the customs offices.

The Palestinian Customs modernization ceremony was attended by Palestinian Authority Prime Minster and Minister of Finance, Salam Fayyad, Christian Berger, the representative of the European Commission (EC) and representatives of the UNCTAD. The e-transformation of the Palestinian Customs is the result of its partnership with the UNCTAD and the EC.

By Jose Roy