The General Authority of Customs announced today, Saturday, that the customs automation project has reached advanced stages after adopting the ASYCUDA system in 21 of the 22 customs centers. The authority confirmed that this step has contributed to facilitating trade flow, strengthening control over border crossings, and reducing corruption, in addition to achieving a qualitative leap in revenues.
The Director General of the Customs Authority, Thamer Qasim Al-Taie, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The authority has begun automating customs procedures in implementation of the government program, by adopting the ASYCUDA system, which is being implemented in three phases.” He indicated that “the authority has reached 55% of the second phase, which has directly reflected in facilitating customs work and implementing strict control over the movement of goods.”
He added, “21 of the 22 customs centers have become fully accredited under the system, while the final center will be completed within a short period.” He noted that “all personnel working at the ports have undergone specialized training courses inside and outside Iraq to deal with the new system, ensuring the success of the practical implementation of automation.”
Al-Taie continued, “The project faced numerous challenges regarding the technological infrastructure, but the sponsorship of the Prime Minister and the follow-up of the Minister of Finance contributed to overcoming these difficulties and providing the necessary capabilities to complete the project.” He emphasized that “automation has provided greater fluidity in dealing with traders and importers and imposed advanced control over the movement of incoming and outgoing goods.”
