MINUTES № 9 С of the Interagency Working Group Meeting on Implementation of the "Single Window - Local Solution” Technology in the Area of Southern Customs and Ports of the Odessa Region

MINUTES

Meeting of Interagency Working Group on

Implementation of “Single Window – Local Solution” Ttechnology in the area of the Southern Customs and Ports of the Odessa Region

Odessa 29– 30 May, 2012

Place: 15 Pushkinska St.,

The Meeting was called to order at 10 : 00

The Meeting was adjourned at 17 : 00

Those present: see Annex # 1

Composition of Members of the Interagency Working and Experts Groups: see Annex # 2

The Ninth meeting of the Interagency working and expert groups held within the framework of the Third International Seminar on Trade Facilitation "Trade Facilitation in Ukraine. The "Single Window - Local Solution" Project in Odessa. Achievements and New Challenges " The workshop was organized and held in Odesa by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in cooperation with the Government of Ukraine with the support of the Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine) and the Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics Organizations of Ukraine "Ukrzovnishtrans", initiated by “PLASKE” JSC.

The Seminar was called to order by V. I. Schelkunov.

Discussions on four Sessions issues took place in the course of the work program:

Participants noted that international trade facilitation have gained central position in economic policy of Ukraine, in the framework of integration of the country into wider European markets in order to increase transit potential and competitive ability of Ukraine.

Trade facilitation tasks in Ukraine and the “Single Window – Local Solution” pilot project in Odessa:

Objectives and tasks of the Seminar. The Single Window and the Port Community System projects in the general trade facilitation strategy;
General support for trade facilitation and the “Single Window - Local Solution” project in the ports of Odessa Region.

“Single Window – Local Solution” project. Experience of the port of Odessa in collaboration with the Customs Department of the Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine and other members of state control in the sea crossings points:

Experience of Odessa port in building single Port Community System;
Technical aspects of the implementation of the "Single Window - Local Solution" in the SE "Odessa Sea Commercial Port";
The role of customs in the creation of a single Port Community System using risk analysis procedures and information sharing.

Master Plan and role of different public and private organizations in the development of Port Community Systems:

Master Plan role in the development of the Port Community System and in the common strategy of trade facilitation;
The role of public and private organizations – trade actors in the development of the Port Community System;
Customs clearance procedures modernization. Best practices in the European Union and the Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Community and strategic aims of trade facilitation in Ukraine.

Data harmonization and document formats:

Harmonisation of data: the practical application of document as an electronic record using electronic digital signature and data conversion

Participants of the meeting saw a considerable progression in the project implementation: Interagency Working Group on the implementation of the “Single Window - Local Solution” concept, established in 2011, has already held eight meetings; work on implementation of the Port Community single information system is carried out successfully in the port of Odessa. The aim of this work is paperwork minimization during technological operations in the port, processes optimization, cutting time on each operation through furnishing the latest, proper and legitimate information to all the actors of freight transport process. It was noted that after signing the process diagram of the first working stage of the Port Community System that unites already-existing results of free practice, security badge, automated access control system, electronic planning and new project of electronic order for container delivery, by the port of Odessa and the State Customs Service of Ukraine on 22 May 2012, the following work has been done: first electronic order has been executed; consultations for representatives of the State Customs Service of Ukraine and other regulatory authorities, freight forwarding organizations and liner agents have been held; an electronic and a paper order have been implemented in Odessa port in a parallel mode; a stage of container delivery execution from the checkpoint area has been started; regulatory authorities’ involvement is in the final stage; liner agents and container terminals are involved as a separate working area; test of reception of preliminary information from marine agents is carrying out; test of data exchange upon actual unloading with stevedores is in its final stage. More than 300 freight forwarding organizations are involved as of 30.05.2013.

In conclusion of the Seminar the following recommendations were adopted:

Organizational issues

To continue improvement of the working plan (project stages list cards) on development of the Port Community System in the ports of Odessa Region involving all the authorized representatives of public authorities and private sector into control arrangement at the border crossing points.
To ask the Prime Minister of Ukraine to define the Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine as principle performer of development of the draft Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On establishment of the (Coordination Council) Interagency Working Group on the implementation of the “Single Window - Local Solution" concept.
To the Secretariat of the Interagency Working Group:

- To address the Prime Minister of Ukraine with a request for assistance to early adoption of the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On introduction of amendments to the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of May 21, 2012 No 451 “Issues of the State Border passage of persons, road, water, rail and air transport of carriers and conveying load”;

- to ensure regular work of the expert working group on development of the project on the Procedure for customs formalities in the exercise of customs control and customs clearance of vessels of carriers and conveying load;

- to form an expert group, involving UNECE and EUBAM representatives, the task of which shall be preparation of the project of national strategy on trade facilitation;

Before 1^stJuly.2013 the Secretariat shall send the Prime Minister of Ukraine report on the implementation of the "Single Window - Local Solutions" project, prepared on the basis of reports provided by the ministries and other central executive bodies whose representatives are members of the Interagency Working Group.
Before 1^st July 2013 the SE “Odessa Commercial Sea Port” shall make the switch to paperless technology of order execution with reserved right of choice by a transport process actor (freight forwarding organization) of electronic or paper form of documents submission.

Issues of legislation and system of application of electronic digital signature

To support introduction of amendments to acts of law of Ukraine in order to legalize electronic trust services and to create legal framework for building services for trusted third party in Ukraine. This will allow to speed up implementation of e-document flow projects in international trade and in cross-border cooperation, and to determine powers and responsibility of qualified centers of rendering services during the signing of documents using electronic digital signature on behalf of a client for application in automated information systems without direct participation of a person, use of electronic digital signature for Web site protection arrangement or communication channels encoding.
The Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine shall consider the possibility to model procedure of submission and reception of convertible e-documents with electronic digital signature of Port Community System operator, having equal legal force with original e-documents with electronic digital signature of the document issuer (container line, container terminal, etc.).
Central government agencies, operating at the points of passage across the State Border of Ukraine, shall provide their representatives at the points with electronic digital signatures of accredited key certification centers of the Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine.

Data harmonization

During the development of Port Community System designers shall consider experience of international standards application and technical cooperation with international organizations (UNECE, WCO, ISO, European Commission, FIATA and others).
To recommend to authorized bodies in Ukraine:

- to adopt classifiers of container lines, ports of Ukraine and port terminals at the level of national standards;

- to harmonize the classifier of container types approved by the Order of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine dd. 20.09.2012 No 1011, with ISO standard 6346;

- to harmonize DSTU/ISO-9735 standard with the Law of Ukraine and Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for expansion of scope of application of electronic exchange of information in the format of UN EDIFACT by the State bodies of Ukraine;

- to formalize normative single numbers of ship entries to the ports of Ukraine;

- to consider the possibility of maintaining by Port Community System of other international formats, together with XML, to foresee the possibility of auto transition between formats.

To consider the possibility of organization of workshop on data harmonization with participation of UNECE experts for all the stakeholders.
To suggest to the Ministry of Revenues and Duties of Ukraine to consider the possibility of definition of requirements for ocean liner agents about delivery of preliminary information on cargo in containers in such a way as to the necessary information is in accord, in terms of volume and form, with information on cargo in containers contained in the international transport document – ocean bill of lading.

Cooperation

To take into account European ports’ and business community’s experience on implementation of electronic exchange of information. To enhance cooperation between public authorities and business community of Ukraine, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Port Community Systems Association (EPCSA), Bureau Veritas, CIT, the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), USAID, TRACECA, FIATA, and appropriate bodies of Moldova, Lithuania and other countries.
To develop cooperation with international organizations with a view to improve a system of vocational training of customs authority officials, customs Clarence agents, declarants, freight forwarders, carriers and other entities engaged in foreign economic activity who are involved in a transport and customs clearance process, by implementing in practice provisions of a cooperation agreement, signed by the State Customs Service of Ukraine and the UKRZOVNISHTRANS Association.
To develop cooperation in the framework of the project with the National Institute of Strategic Studies under the President of Ukraine and the Institute of Economic Researches and Political Consultations.
16. To recommend that the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine together with the State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine:

- Consider developing investment project that can be implemented on the basis of public-private partnership (PPP) on the basis of developments and achievements of the "Single Window - Local Solutions,"

- To cooperate with the International public-private partnership center of UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE International PPP Centre of Excellence).

The Head V. Shchelkunov

Files for downloading:
Annex 2
Annex 1