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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has developed the Asean Customs Transit System (ACTS) to boost trade in the region.
The system will soon be available in Myanmar and, depending on business needs, could be expanded to Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines, Asean and the European Union said.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, they said the online program was developed to reduce business challenges within Asean and allow companies to fully benefit from the Asean Economic Community and the free movement of goods in the region.
ACTS aims to simplify the movement of goods in the region, making it more efficient and profitable.
The private sector “can make a single customs transit declaration that covers the transport of goods through multiple ASEAN countries, without the need to make repeated customs declarations or change vehicles at each border,” the statement read.
Following pilot activities in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, the system has been formally launched for general use.
In 2017, Asean Finance Ministers set the dual goal of reducing trade transaction costs by 10 percent by 2020 and doubling trade within Asean between 2017 and 2025.
ACTS will allow companies to file electronic transit declarations directly with Asean’s customs authorities and track the movement of their goods from loading on departure to delivery at the final destination.
“The implementation of the Asean Customs Transit System plays a vital role in facilitating the smooth movement of goods in the region,” said Asean Dato General Secretary Lim Jock Hoi.
He believes that the system will be “an excellent tool to improve Asean’s commercial and production networks, as well as to establish a more unified market for its companies and consumers.”
“ACTS is a remarkable achievement that is a testament to the strong, dynamic and long-lasting partnership between Asean and the European Union,” said Koen Doens, director general for international cooperation and development at the European Commission.
“We are very happy to have the Asean Customs Transit System,” said Yukki Nugrahawan, president of the Asean Federation of Carrier Associations.
“The freight forwarding community will be one of the main beneficiaries of this system as it offers simplified customs and transport control procedures between different ASEAN member states and provides predictability in door-to-door delivery times and, more importantly, it reduces transportation costs. ” additional.
Lim said ACTS could also support post-coronavirus recovery to accelerate the movement of medical supplies, vaccines and personal protective equipment between member states.
Doens said the system would also make the movement of goods by road faster and easier across the borders of participating ASEAN member states, thereby reducing costs for businesses and citizens.
“The EU is proud to have joined Asean in making ACTS a reality, bringing European technical expertise and € 10 million since 2012, in addition to the € 5 million invested by our Asean partners,” added Doens.
Special arrangements allow reliable merchants to load their goods at their own facilities in the country of departure and deliver the goods at their own facilities at the destination.
Faster customs clearance at borders helps speed up transit movements and reduces the time and expense of conducting regional merchandise trade, to the benefit of producers and consumers.
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