RASUWA, Nov 16: The installation of Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) at the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office has eased customs procedures for both traders and customs officials.
The office installed ASYCUDA system keeping in view rising import volume through the customs point along the Nepal-China border. The new system has eradicated problems like delay in customs evaluation, under evaluation of goods, and long queues at the customs office, according to customs officials.
“The installation of ASYCUDA system has eased customs process for us. We no longer need to visit the customs office for export and import of goods and pay duties,” Nawaraj Timilsina, a trader, told Republica. “Earlier, the paper-based documentation process used to take a lot of time.”
Rasuwagadhi customs to implement Asycuda from June 16
Similarly, Basu Basnet, another trader, said traders like him can complete customs formalities from their office in Kathmandu itself.
Not only traders, the digital system has benefited staffers of the customs office as well. They no longer need to go to the district headquarters as customs duty is collected through banking system and application process has also gone digital.
“The new system facilitates coordination between Internal Revenue Department (IRD) and Department of Customs. It will help the department to monitor its customs offices effectively,” Gopal Koirala, chief customs officer at the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office, said. “Making customs formalities technology-friendly is a step toward making import-export trade more managed,” he added.
Koirala further added that smooth customs clearance process will make trade of goods easier and hence help increase revenue collection. Koirala further said that it will make trading easier and will increase the tax collection too. According to Koirala, data integration system helps to send all the details of price and good's quantity directly to the IRD. “All the details registered at the customs office by the trader can be found easily by concerned government offices, he added.
Details like quantity of goods, estimated arrival time, price as well as staff that registered the entry are available online in ASYCUDA system.
Meanwhile, the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office has also closed its cash counter. “We have decided to close the cash counter as Bank of Kathmandu (BoK) has already been designated to collect revenue on behalf of us,” Koirala said.
Before ASYCUDA was installed, the customs office used to collect revenue itself and later deposit the amount in its account maintained at the Dhunche-based branch office of Nepal Bank Limited.
