DUSHANBE. October 4, 2022/NIAT «Khovar»/. Today the Customs Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, in online format, with the participation of the head of the Customs Service Khurshed Karimzoda, Secretary-General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebecca Grynspan, representatives of the World Bank, the United nations, as well as interested government ministries and agencies, launched the automated customs data processing system ASYCUDA.

During his speech, Karimzoda Khurshed pointed out that this system will be implemented as part of the component 3 of the fourth phase of the Сentral Asia regional links program (CARS-4). On June 22, 2022, an agreement was signed between the Customs Service of Tajikistan and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on the implementation of the ASYCUDA system.

The above mentioned customs management system covers most of the external trade procedures, such as customs declarations, accounting procedures, transit and standby procedures, generates trade data that can be used for statistical and economic analysis, as well as a number of other business processes. The head of the Customs Service noted the role of ASYCUDA in trade facilitation, and for the creation of a favorable environment for business development. It will likely help increase the country’s international business and investment ratings in the future. Grynspan discussed the issues of customs modernization, implementation the ASYCUDA system in 101st country, as well as the opportunities that the use of the new system will provide for the Customs Service and Tajikistan as a whole, including the reduction of customs clearance time, including the digitalization of customs operations and the integration of e-payment capabilities. She noted that these efforts are part of Tajikistan’s strategy for opening its economy to the world market, and of achieving structural transformation, particularly in the areas of transport infrastructure and export diversification.

In addition, the Regional Coordinator Dmitry Godunov noted that the implementation of the customs reform and transition to the ASYCUDA system will lead to the implementation of a fully electronic customs management system at the national level, which will allow for the introduction of modern customs practices, increase transparency, improve management control, and increased customs revenue. Also, Senior Trade Facilitation Specialist Satya Prasad Sahu spoke on behalf of the World Bank. He expressed his hope that the implementation of the system will help achieve the project’s goals, including the development of cross-border cooperation and integrated regional development, as well as in the historical Silk Road route. In addition, it was noted that institutional reforms would be achieved to facilitate trade procedures and remove existing barriers in logistics. Sahu also pointed out that the World Bank hopes that in the first phase of the implementation of ASYCUDA, the integration of the National Single Window with international standards will become possible through the implementation of technical modules and business process analysis. Karimzoda Khurshed expressed his gratitude to the World Bank team and the United Nations for their constant assistance and support in the implementation of innovative projects in Tajikistan.