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Contact:
Julita Peter
Monday, January 24, 2005 - The OECS Secretariat is working with the
Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), to upgrade the software system
currently used by Customs Departments in the OECS, in an effort to help them
better deal with the increasing volume and complexity of international trade.
On Monday OECS Customs officials and trade and finance experts met at the Bay
Gardens Hotel, to discuss the implementation of ASYCUDA ++, which will replace
the obsolete ASYCUDA software, introduced to the Caribbean in the early 1990’s.
Communications Officer at the OECS Secretariat Kendal Morgan, said that among
the many benefits to be realized from the new ASYCUDA ++ software system, are
improved revenue control and networking among Customs Departments.
“It would allow the brokers and other people who do business with Customs to be
able from their own base, from their own business to be able to track things at
the customs, and to be able to input from their businesses unto the customs data
system, and generally to help the customs department in OECS countries better
prepare themselves for entry into the proposed Caricom Single market and Economy
(CSME), Mr. Morgan said.
Monday’s meeting also focused on deciding on a location for centralizing the new
computerized system, so that participating countries can approach its
implementation as a joint effort: “There are six participating OECS countries as
far as this project is concerned. These are St. Lucia, St.Vincent and the
Grenadines, Antigua-Barbuda, St. Kitts/Nevis, Dominica and Grenada. They are
looking at Barbados as an example, because they have had some experience in the
upgraded system. They are also looking at where St. Lucia has gone with it,
because St. Lucia started introducing the system with some CDB funding, sometime
ago, so the meeting will determine whether it will become the model for the rest
of the region”, he informed.
Approximately US$3.2 million will be spent on the project over a period of 33
months.
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