The Revenues and Customs authority in Ethiopia announced that it is drafting a new customs regulation.

The authority expects to issue the first draft of the regulation in three months according to Gebrewahid Woldegiorgis, Deputy Director and Head of Law Enforcement with ERCA.

It is expected that the new regulation will take effect before the end of the Ethiopian financial year said Gebrewahid.
The new regulation is designed to facilitate more modern and efficient customs processes he noted.

The import –export sector is adversely affected by cumbersome customs regulations according to complaints heard at the Second Federal Public Private Sector Dialogue form held last week at the Sheraton Addis Hotel.

It is hoped that the new draft regulation will solve the problems in customs procedures raised at the forum said Gebrewahid.

The implementation of the new Multimodal Transportation directive and the targeted expansion of industrial areas require the modernization and decentralization of customs processes to reduce the time required to facilitate to import or export of goods he noted.

The authority will utilize new technology to control the customs processes and to provide up to date information as necessary added Gebrewahid.

It is to be remembered that ERCA reached an arrangement with Gainde 2000, consulting firm from Senegal, to implement a single window customs service. The authority will be implementing the suggestions provided by the consultants.

Source: capital