Dominica is said to be leading the way in the Caribbean region in implementing a project which will fast forward the way business is conducted at the island’s ports.
The Trade Logistics Caribbean Project (TLCP) is being implemented throughout the region and is being funded by the government of Australia to the sum of US$1.4-million.
“When we look at the OECS region, the case of Dominica is very specific because Dominica is the first one to actually introduce automation for input declarations across all technical agencies. So in comparism to the other islands they are advanced,” Trade Logistics Specialist in the World Bank Group, Lazar Ristic said during a press conference at the Ministry of Trade’s conference room on Friday.
The project is expect to be ready within the next few months, according to Ristic.
“What you are going to be seeing, as of June-July, is that no longer importers will have to go to each agency and submit their documents to each one separately,” he said in explaining the project. “Simply by lodging the declaration in the ASECUDA Customs IT System, all of the data will be disseminated to the relevant agencies and clearance will be done by a simple system. Not only will they be approved, they will be processed in a much more analytical and efficient way which was currently being done by books. In the future all of these analytical and statistical analysis will be done by internal IT systems.”
Operations Officer at the Investment Climate of the World Bank, Alicia Stephens, said at the end of the project, time spent in conducting business at the ports will be greatly reduced.
“I’m sure you would appreciate that every day the good is stayed at the border is a day that it cannot be on the shelf and that really breaks down the cost of any red tape that an importer would face at the border,” she stated.
Although I’m not a supporter of this government, but I support good common sense policies/projects/initiatives that improves the lives of the citizenry and fosters development on the island. That been said give credit when and where it is warranted, such as this. Country First !!
Bravo Dominica.
As a St. Lucian importing goods into Saint Lucia, it is a painstaking task to literarily walking or driving to each agency to get my documents signed or checked.
By the way, I think Dominican women are beautiful ladies.
We need to applaud the efforts of the Customs department, Reform Management Unit, Ministry of Finance, and all the agencies involved. When it is good, we need to say it is good.
It has been some years now since Dominica has introduced ASYCUDA World with a module that allows importers to declare online. That story is not new!
Only fools get involved with the World Bank. So we know where DA stands. And in the end, you will have no control over it DA’cans This is called ‘absolute control’ via computerization. Just like your money in the bank. They are zeroing in on this place. Nothing but a smoke screen.
dos that includes barrels
DA leads and others follow. That’s what those on the OTHER SIDE can’t deal with..,PROGRESS.
Hats off to Dominica. Never hide Jack’s jacket. Just give it to him.