An automated system is being built through a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partnership with the Association of South East Asian Nations to drastically reduce the time it takes shipping documents to move through customs in Southeast Asia. The computer-driven procedure being created will allow shippers, forwarders, and transport operators to avoid the current maze of clearances by using a single-source, data-entry process. By consolidating the information used for licensing, inspections, and customs clearances, the system will speed shipments of goods to, from and within Southeast Asia. The process, supported by a $7.9 million USAID investment over 5 years, is expected to benefit both the private sector and consumers by cutting costs and enhancing efficiency and security. It is anticipated that the new system will be in operation by 2012, and that it will slash the time it takes to process paperwork from as much as five days to just a few hours.
Journal of Commerce
