Abu Dhabi: The UAE has started testing the launch of an automated transfer system of customs duties among the countries of the GCC, with the transitional period expected to last till October, the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) announced on Monday.
During a press conference, FCA said that the UAE was ready to apply the system, which will replace a manual one, and has already organised a technical committee to decide on the protocol of the automated system.
Khalid Al Bustani, acting director general at FCA, said that the system aims to ease the transactions of goods between GCC countries, reduce paperwork, and unify the protocols used at customs. The system is also in line with the UAE’s initiative to implement smart government across its various government departments
Al Bustani added that a team was formed to regularly pay visits to different trade ports across the GCC and ensure their readiness to implement the system.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have started to apply the mechanism in March, followed by Qatar. Meanwhile, Bahrain will begin its application in August, with Oman expected to start in early January 2016.
The total volume of customs duties that the UAE transferred to GCC countries reached Dh1.6 billion in 2014, and stands at Dh486 million since the beginning of 2015.
