The Single Window: benefits from an advanced trade facilitation tool and UN standards for a transition economy Slavica KUTIROV Customs Administration of the Republic of Macedonia Conference for Trade Development and Facilitation for Economies in Transition Geneva, 27 October 2009, Palais des Nations

Introduction The Government of the Republic of Macedonia launched the Project of introduction of a Single Window Environment in March 2007 Customs Administration (MCA) was appointed as Leading agency and the Project coordinator Other members of the Project Team  15 Government Institutions  USAID  National Committee on IBM  Ministry of Information Society  Business Community

General objectives To facilitate the trade introducing a single point for fulfilling of all cross-border requirements Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the official control Cutting costs (due to faster release of goods and better use of resources) For the Government:  Improved trader compliance  More efficient use of resources  Coordinated approach and cooperation between GA  Increasing the collection of the revenue yield  Enhanced security  Improving the conditions for risk assessment For the Economic Operators:  Faster clearance and release of goods  Transparent and predictable procedures  Cutting costs (reducing administrative burden and delays and more efficient use of resources)

Concept and framework To include processes and documents directly related to import, export and transit of goods To implement international standards and tools To develop an Electronic Single Window  Single entry point and paperless environment for obtaining all licenses required for import, export and transit of goods  Coordinated cross-border control of licenses  Electronic signature for verification  Open system for further interconnections

Phases Analysis (Mar 2007 – Jun 2007) Harmonization and Standardization (May 2007 – May 2008) Feasibility study and Project plan (Jul 2007 – Sep 2007) Implementation (Oct 2007 – Oct 2008) Launching - 1 November 2008

Analysis (March 2007 – June 2007) International Standards and Tools UN/CEFACT, Recommendation 33 and 34 WCO Data Model (based on UNTDED, International Code Standards) EC Regulations and Decisions connected with e-Customs initiative Experiences of other countries Analyze the current situation in RM Outcomes  16 GA responsible for issuing licenses in the cross border trade  No precise list of all of the various licenses  Overlapping of the responsibilities of the GA  Repeating the same annexes to every application  Different data for the same information  GA had not e-processing of the licenses

Harmonization and standardization (May 2007 – May 2008) Identification of documents and data from each PGA Creation of a PGA Data File First-stage harmonization Harmonization Create a Standardized Data Set (SDS 80) Data elements were mapped according the WCO Data Model (version 2.0) and its UNTDED equivalent in the WCO DM

Standardized Data Set (SDS 80)

Feasibility study and project plan (July 2007 – September 2007) Outcomes from the Analyze of the current situation Proposals for Participated Government Authorities, processes and documents Harmonization and standardization process Electronic Single Window model Legal aspects and changes Business model Annexes List of all import, export and transit licenses Block schemes of different business processes for issuing of licenses in GA System description for software solution

Implementation (October 2007 – October 2008) Keep on Data Harmonization and Standardization Development of Legal Framework Accomplishment of Software and Hardware Procurements Creation of Central Data Model Development of Software Application Installation of Hardware Equipment Pilot Implementation Trainings and Promotions

Launching (1 November 2008) Single Window for Licenses for Import, export and Transit of Goods and Tariff Quotas (EXIM)

EXIM Functionalities Single frame for all required information for obtaining 66 different import, export or transit licenses and tariff quotas e-application for licenses and on-line tracking the current status from the office e-issuance of licenses from the GA and on-line monitoring of usage from Customs е - applications for customs quotas and on-line monitoring of allocation е – monitoring of payments for administrative fees Equal legal validity of electronic and paper applications Printouts of licenses and other reports Central management of reference data

EXIM Users  Customs administration  Ministry of interior  Ministry of agriculture  Phyto-sanitary Directorate  Veterinary Directorate  State inspectorate for agriculture  Seed and seed materials directorate  Bureau for medicine  Food directorate  State sanitary and health inspectorate  Ministry of economy  Bureau for metrology  Ministry of environment and physical planning  Ministry of culture  Directorate for radiation security  National bank Trade  Importers  Exporters  Carriers  Brokers  Freight Forwarders Government

Technology

Benefits Service availability 24 hours, 7 days a week Increasing the efficiency of the licensing process and provide better legal certainty Saving of time and costs for businesses and government due to e-licenses process and more efficient use of resources Better conditions for increasing collection of the revenues based on coordinated approach between PGA and efficient use of the recourses Enhanced security as a result of centralized approach to the cross border information Standardized and harmonized data and model structure, ready for more comprehensive exchange of information and coordinated risk assessment

Further development Work on improvement of the technical functionalities of EXIM system and inclusion of the new procedures and documents Keep on data harmonization and standardization of the current and new data elements  WCO DM version 3  UNTDED  Core Component Library (CCL) Improvement of cross-border exchange of information providing interoperability with other information systems  New Customs Declaration Processing System (CDPS)  Veterinarian Agency System (TRACES)  System for Transport Licenses Work on building of cooperation and coordinated risk assessment between cross-border GA and One Stop Shop control, based on the interoperability with other GA systems and Integrated Border Management system (ISIGU)

Thank you for your attention! QUESTIONS? Slavica KUTIROV IT Project Manager Phone: Customs Administration of the Republic of Macedonia