The Ethiopian Customs Commission (ECC) has completed the full digitalization of its services, a move aimed at delivering faster and more modern service delivery for customers, particularly importers and exporters.

The Commission’s digital transformation has been pursued in line with the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy and broader national economic priorities, including the Homegrown Economic Reform agenda, which identifies the digital economy as a key pillar for economic development.

As part of the overhaul, the ECC has introduced an online system that enables traders to process a wide range of customs-related activities remotely. Central to this modernization effort is the Electronic Single Window (ESW), a platform that integrates more than 70 institutions and allows import and export requirements to be submitted in batch. The system is intended to reduce application-related costs, minimize delays, and limit document duplication across agencies.

In addition, the Commission has begun implementing a Smart Border Customs Management System at border customs stations. The system includes AI-enabled cameras designed to support monitoring across extensive coverage areas, and it has been deployed in multiple locations where customs activities are conducted to strengthen oversight of import and export movements.

The ECC indicated that the broader digital system is expected to improve service speed and efficiency while strengthening enforcement against illegal trade and contraband and supporting legal trade flows.

Additional digital services have also been rolled out, including e-tax, e-services, complaint filing, and receipt verification tools aimed at simplifying tax payment and related processes.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency