Goal in Sight for Barrier-Free Customs Clearance and Paperless Trade

On July 8, the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) called a quarterly meeting to discuss the progress of its Barrier-free Customs Clearance Project, which is being implemented in line with the APEC’s goal of paperless trade. Reports presented by different agencies at the meeting indicated that preliminary results have been achieved, including the completion of an online “TF (Trade Facilitation) Net,” the establishment of an ASP Customs Clearance System for Sea/Air Cargo, and the building of an MTNet (Maritime Transport Network) Portal.

　　The TF Net, which is being handled by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), MOEA, went online in March. This network allows shippers to apply to the BOFT, Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, Bureau of Animal Health Inspection and Quarantine, and other clearance-related agencies electronically for export and import permits, certificates of origin, inspection application documents, and quarantine application documents.

　　Taiwan originally had 24 agencies involved in the issuance of import and export permits, and they used a total of 165 different import and export application documents. Now, more than 80% of all permit procedures can be carried out online via the TF Net instead of the documents having to be sent to the agencies manually. Replies giving the status of handling now take only an average of six minutes for import inspection applications and just three minutes for export quarantine applications. This new system greatly reduces the time needed to apply for customs clearance.

　　The Bureau of Foreign Trade reports that nearly 60,000 applications were submitted online during the three months following the inauguration of the “e-Trade Facilitation Network,” and that other agencies, including the Directorate General of Telecommunications, Dept. of National Treasury, Energy Commission, Atomic Energy Council, Dept. of Health, and Industrial Development Bureau, will join the system in the future. The ratio of import applications submitted via the new electronic system is expected to rise from 86% this year to 97% in 2007.

　　To facilitate customs clearance services, the Directorate General of Customs has completed the establishment of an ASP Customs Clearance System for Sea/Air Cargo which combines online verification services with natural person and business certification, thereby providing  more diversified customs-clearance channels. This ASP customs-clearance environment has already become operational for air cargo, and the environment for sea cargo will follow in the last half of this August.

　　In the area of harbor information systems, the Department of Aviation and Navigation, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, has completed installation of its MTNet Portal. This new portal integrates online application and clearance procedures for four international commercial harbors—Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Hualien—providing users with a single-entry mechanism that gives access to inter-harbor application, inquiry, implementation, and other operations, thus greatly heightening efficiency. Publicity and training work regarding this new system is being carried out, and it is expected to go online on January 1, 2006.

　　Vice Chairman Thomas Yeh of CEPD, who is in charge of carrying out the Barrier-Free Customs Clearance Project, indicates that the implementation of paperless trade is expected to be completed by he end of the year and that the effort to integrate customs clearance operations will continue with the aim of strengthening Taiwan’s economic competitiveness.

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