The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority is ready to introduce a new customs management software system expected 
to cost an estimated 162 million birr. The new IT system will replace the Automated Systems for Customs and Data currently being used by the authority.
ERCA decided to change its current technology installed in 12 years ago because it is not able to accommodate the new systems required as part of the customs reform program according to Nigussie Seid, Team Coordinator for Software Development with the authority.
The current system is unable to integrate or interface with the custom reforms that are underway he explained.
For example one of the reforms that ERCA has implemented is the voucher system which gives exporters an incentive to import raw materials for the production of export commodities but the system was unable to facilitate the processing of this system and the authority has been reduced to process these duty calculations manually leading to a high margin of error noted Nigussie.It is to be remembered that ERCA engaged a consultant to evaluate the current system through a grant from the European Union related to facilitating trade. The consultant was able to identify that the current IT system was obsolete leading the authority to decide on changing it.
Source: Fortune
