The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is accelerating full automation of its processes, and targets the first quarter of 2016 for its launch, according to one of its senior officials.
Atty. Agaton Teodoro Uvero, Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group deputy commissioner, in an interview with media on July 20, said BOC is fast-tracking implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data World (Asycuda World) to serve as the agency’s single IT platform.
AsycudaWorld is the latest version of the software developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The software is a computerized customs management system that covers most foreign trade procedures, including handling manifests and customs declarations, and performing accounting, transit, and suspense procedures.
According to Uvero, AsycudaWorld is the way forward, since it has already been proven to enable a fully digital and paperless platform for customs transactions, and is currently in use in more than 90 countries.
It is also more cost-effective than the P650-million Integrated Enhanced Customs Processing System and National Single Window (NSW) Phase II project that was bid out but later cancelled in favor of AsycudaWorld.
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By opting to use the UNCTAD system, BOC will spend P350 million at most for a package that includes all hardware and software, training of customs officers and system maintenance, Uvero said. Once AsycudaWorld is in place, NSW Phase I will also be phased out since the UNCTAD system has the capability to connect government agencies that issue import permits, which was what NSW was meant to do.
The BOC official noted that currently, BOC uses two systems—electronic-to-mobile (e2m) and NSW. E2m is used by stakeholders, which include customs brokers, forwarders, shipping lines, arrastre operators, banks, and economic zone and Freeport locators. Uvero said that with AsycudaWorld, stakeholders only need to lodge the data once, as opposed to the current practice of having to lodge the same data separately for e2m and NSW.
Downside to automation
However, the Customs official said the downside of automation is the downsizing of personnel, not just for BOC but for stakeholders as well.
“When you automate there will be a lot of people looking for other jobs,” Uvero admitted.
He said there will be no need for processors to come to BOC to file manual copies since processing will be done online and signatures digitized.
He added that automation “will require brokers and forwarders to be more efficient, which means less people and more programs, more computers.”
Since transactions and approvals will be online, there will be more transparency, limited discretion for Customs officials, and lesser “opportunities for corrupt activities”, he noted.
The core functionalities of AsycudaWorld are designed to facilitate and improve the calculation, collection, and accounting of Customs duties and other charges related to Customs operations; speed up the clearance of goods and prevent smuggling; and provide Customs management with timely and accurate information.
The platform is based on a sophisticated technical architecture that does away with the need to maintain permanent connections with a national server—something that is particularly important for countries such as the Philippines with unreliable telecommunications. Where telecommunications are more reliable, the traditional Web approach can be used. The AsycudaWorld platform also exploits the potential of mobile devices to access the Internet. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of twobee at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
