Korea’s electronic customs clearance system, known as Uni-Pass, has recently been exported to Ethiopia.
On March 10, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) and the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) signed a USD 13.25 million deal to export Uni-Pass to the East African country.
Including the new deal, Korea has now exported the Uni-Pass system to a range of countries for a total value surpassing some USD 348 million. The system was first adopted in Kazakhstan in 2005, and has since expanded to 11 countries, including Cameroon, Ecuador, Tanzania and the Dominican Republic.
Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority (ERCA) Deputy Director General Moges Balcha (left) and his Korea Customs Service (KCS) counterpart Kim Jong-Yeol pose for a picture after signing an MOU outlining cooperation on the Korean customs clearance system, in Addis Ababa on March 3.
Over the next three years, the KCS and the ERCA will cooperate on setting up the Uni-Pass system in Ethiopia in two phases. The initial stage of development, estimated to be worth around USD 5.76 million, will be funded by the Ethiopian government. The second phase, at USD 7.49 million, will come in the form of official development assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The ERCA will adopt the Uni-Pass Single Window system, a management tool that makes it possible to handle customs duties for imports and exports online without having to physically visit each of the relevant customs offices. Once the new system is in place, the Ethiopian government will be able to oversee the import and export processes for some 41 different organizations online.
The Ethiopian authorities are hopeful that the new system will help to reduce the average time spent on clearing goods through customs, simplify the overall process and subsequently improve the trade environment.
By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: KCS
hlee10@korea.kr
