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| Thursday, 15 July 2004 |
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Upgraded customs documentation to benefit investors, importers and exporters Upgrading the services of Customs documentation for clearing and forwarding is among the list of priorities of the UPFA Government, said Minister of Consumer Affairs and Commerce Jeyaraj Fernandopulle yesterday. The Government's aim is to bring about an up to date system that will ensure efficiency, productivity and transparency in all import/export processes and procedures. This will benefit investors as well as importers and exporters. "We (the Government) are firmly committed towards ensuring the import/export and investor community, successful transition from the current manual process, which is fast becoming obsolete in the international trading sector, to the state-of-the-art electronic submission of CUSDECS in the weeks ahead," he said. The Minister's assurance comes in the wake of his successful tour of the United States where discussions were held in Washington in regard to signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between US and Sri Lanka which has been in the pipe-line for sometime. Upgrading the port related services (both air and sea) is a necessary precondition for the implementation of the TIFA with the US, he said. eServices Lanka, which is the facilitator of electronic submission of CUSDECS has already made major inroads in planning out strategic network for the smooth transition from manual to an automated regime. Other key stake holders such as the Sri Lanka Customs, the BOI, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the South Asian Gateway Terminal, Airlines and Shipping, Airport and Aviation have already made major contributions towards this project. Commerce Minister Fernandopulle has meanwhile appointed Nihara Rodrigo, Attorney-at-Law, as the government's representative to spearhead and to monitor the progress of the project. He was recently appointed Chairman of eServices Lanka. Because of the strategic location transshipment cargo is yet another area where there is tremendous potential for Sri Lanka to capitalize on, the Minister said. |
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