“Single Window is defined as a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements”
UN/CEFACT RECOMMENDATION No. 33
Single Window: Myths and Reality
On 29-30 May in Odessa the 12th International Transport Week, the traditional one already, took place. Within the framework of the Week held was the 3rd International Seminar of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) dedicated to trade facilitation and the local “Single Window”.
The Seminar was organized by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in cooperation with the Government of Ukraine and under the auspices of the Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine) and UKRVNESHTRANS, the Association of Transport, Freight Forwarding and Logistic Organisations of Ukraine.
The moderators of the Seminar were Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser of UNECE, and Deputy Chairmen of the Interagency Working Group for Introduction of the “Single Window – Local Solution” Technology in the Operations Area of Pivdenna Customs House and Odessa Region Ports Vladimir Schelkunov, President of ICC Ukraine, and Oleg Platonov, President of UKRVNESHTRANS.
Besides, the Seminar was attended by the leaders of the international organization: Stanley Lim, FIATA and Nicollette vd Jagt, CLECAT, representatives of the international organisations: Andrey Videnov, EUBAM, and representatives of public organisations and business. Ruslan Koshulinskiy, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Rada of Ukraine, representatives of the Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine Anatoliy Gutnik, Ivan Romanov, Pavel Pashko, Oleg Matveev, Yelena Moshynskaya, Leonid Muromtsev and Yuriy Sokolov took part in the Seminar from Ukraine. The representatives of Administration of the State Border Service, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Ecological Supervision and Natural Resources and the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service and employees of the Odessa Port and UKRZALIZNYTSIA participated in the work of the Seminar and other activities of the Transport Week. The Seminar considered the latest materials of the sphere of trade facilitation, in particular such as “Single Window – Local Solution”.
Just before the International Transport Week the Odessa Port started the operation of the Unified Information System of Port Community (UIS). It should be reminded that the test electronic work order has been used at the Port since October 2012 under the decision of the Interagency Working Group organized in pursuance of Instruction of Nikolai Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine. Today the newly established system has obtained some definite positive results, about which the participants of the meeting were informed by Viacheslav Voronoi, Chief of the Service for Logistics and Commercial Work, SE Odessa Commercial Sea Port. The electronic work order as an information product of UIS System has replaced under new circumstances the paper system that has principally become obsolete. The structure of the new port community in the future will promote integration of all participants of transport and cargo processes at the Port into unified information space able of giving access to the information used in technological processes involving technical protection means in accordance with the state parameters. The objective of the system is minimisation of paper document circulation during port technological operations, optimization of technological processes and reducing the time of each operation by means of providing all participants of the transportation and cargo processes with timely operating information.
The system includes information exchange between the regulating bodies (customs, border service, etc.), Port Administration, stevedore companies, marine agents, freight forwarders and representatives of UKRZALIZNYTSIA. At present UIS is undergoing tests on the issues of obtaining preliminary information from marine agents. At the final stage stevedore companies will test exchanging actual discharge data. As at 30 May 2013 the system was connected with 351 stevedore companies. That is practically 100 per cent of the companies operating at the Port. Thus, the first technological chain of container clearance has been realized. It is planned that in the nearest time UIS will provide access to the preliminary information on cargoes arrival, their actual discharge, electronic work order and permit for containers removal from the Port. The Seminar participants heard a report of Yurii Sokolov, Deputy Chief of Pivdenna Customs, Ministry of Revenue and Duties, about the UIS System operation. This System, he stated, enabled the customs workers to promptly obtain the information on cargoes. It helps to determine the forms of control inform freight forwarders and cargo owners on time and in such way to avoid extra additional labour and financial expenditures during cargo clearance. The System designers take the customs officers’ remark into account. They also train the customs inspectors involved in the work with UIS. Alongside with positive factors the reporter also mentioned some issues requiring additional consideration. For the time being the System has covered just several segments of imports, transit and exports. As for customs, they are interested in full information about movement of goods and containers including the empty containers export, inspection, places of containers processing, etc. Today the inspector’s working place is equipped with three computers. They are intended for customs program “Inspector 2006”, UIS base (electronic work order) and information on containers, i.e. where they are at the moment and if they are processed. “In the nearest future,” Yu. Sokolov proposed, “the following issues should be settled:
- Concentration of all information on one site; and
- Amendments to the legal base concerning adoption of Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which would approve of filing the information through UIS.”
Today we are studying the experience of foreign countries. For instance, the USA customs will never give “go-ahead” to loading one container at a Chinese Port lacing the preliminary information. The system operates properly and harmoniously. In the USA customs may work with the information about the cargo that will arrive at the port of destination even in a month’s time. As to us, we request to provide information about the cargo at least a day before its arrival at the port. Then we will be able to speak about nonvariant clearance of all cargoes moved through the ports with the use of UIS.
(Information: From the beginning of 2013 about 25,000 containers have been cleared with the use of UIS).
Pavel Pashko, Deputy Chief of Customs Control and Clearance Authority, Customs Department, Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine, in his speech concentrated the Seminar’s participants’ attention on the issues of legislative provision of customs business. He informed that there is a niche in our legislation, which allows selling the goods of unknown origin imported into Ukraine by unknown ways. The goods imported into the territory of Ukraine and sold in the country are not identified. Last year an attempt to adopt a legislative act concerning entering the goods code according to the commodities nomenclature in the accounting documents was made. But the proposal was declined. Single Window will enable obtaining complete information on the goods movement. And then simplified clearance at the border will become possible. Even if the taxes on such goods are not paid directly at the border, they will be levied in the territory of Ukraine. Single Window accumulates all information on the goods and all control bodies can use it. A peculiar filter is formed. The goods will not be able to leave the port territory with the availability of the corresponding information.
There arises the necessity to amend Customs Code as a technical document. We should try and establish one and the same approach not only at the ports, but inside the country, too. A universal product has been introduced at the Odessa Port. It needs distribution. The technology of such experience implementation must be disseminated throughout the country and fixed in a legislative act.
Andrey Videnov, expert on post-customs control and audit of EUBAM, noticed the need to form a national concept of the issues of the customs control and clearance procedures improvement for the purpose of trade promotion. “At present,” noted the reporter, “during reformation of the customs service structure into the Ministry of Revenue and Duties of Ukraine there is a possibility to lend our ears to the recommendations of the World Customs Organisation and Kyoto Conventions standards. Time, place and methods of the customs control are already being altered. The point is that the customs should delegate a part of their functions to the business. Customs declarations duly issued by business structures may not be checked by the customs at all. The business may directly obtain its cargoes at its warehouses. The customs may just carry out post-audit in order to verify the objectivity of determining the code of the goods, their origin, customs value, correctness of charging and paying to the budget. A system of authorized economic operators is introduced in the EU countries for the above purpose. Unfortunately, such system does not work in Ukraine as yet.
Ivan Romanov, Director of the Information and Inquiry Department of MINDOHODOV, informed the participants of the Seminar about the need of forming a new vision concerning the development of the society, in which key role will be played by exchange of information and its usage for the benefit of the state, business, citizens and society at large.
The management processes at the state structures today are practically impossible without the usage of the information flows and resources. However the reverse side of such process is the mass character of the information flows and the problems of “information explosion” associated with them. Besides, the latest information technologies enable cardinal changes in the interrelations of the power and the citizens when the concept of servicing population and business is taken as a basis. We face the task to provide all our clients with quality attendance and electronic services and at the same time to finish up the formation of the electronic communication culture.
Since the State Tax Service of Ukraine had introduced the tax payers’ first electronic service – the system of filing with STS reporting documents in the electronic form (2008) the best achievement of the Service, to my mind, was the organization of its Accredited Keys Certification Centre (AKCC).
On 30 May 2013 it was a year since AKCC issued the first strengthened certificate. It was on that day, a year ago, that the tax payers, quite logically, turned into our clients. And today the term “client” has already become standard for MINDOHODOV. As it is for the benefit of our clients that we work, you know.
The first Accredited Keys Certification Centre, which technologically equals to any commercial AKCC in Ukraine, began to provide the first electronic digital signature services to clients free of charge. The new EDS service has rather quickly got recognition of the clients. Pending the first month of its operation EDS services were provided to 4,030 clients and already over the second month the number of the Centre’s clients increased by 15,200, that is the increase made 4 times (372.8%) within one month.
At present, in order to bring the new service closer to the clients, IED AKCC has organized 106 representation offices with 260 administrators – the largest official (regular) network of registration offices in Ukraine. Monthly IED AKCC provides EDS services to 50,000 applicants on the average, and the maximum registration capacity has been brought up to 110,000 clients each month.
Summing up the results of AKCC work it should be noted that at the moment the EDS services have been provided to 380,000 clients who have formed over 600,000 of strengthened certificates, and this is one of the best indicators among other AKCC in Ukraine of the quantity of the client’s services provided. Thus, AKCC establishment has given a powerful incentive to the development of the electronic document circulation systems (electronic services).
Oleg Matveev, Chief of the Keys Certification Centre of Information and Enquiry Department of MINDOHODOV, dwelled on the problems of technology and normative field harmonization in the sphere of electronic digital signature. He attracted the attention of the Seminar participants to the active work of the state institutions on harmonization of the legislation, namely concerning amendments to Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Digital Signature”, which will approximate the functioning of the open keys infrastructure in Ukraine to the European standards.
Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser of UNECE, lingered on the role of UIS Building Plan. This draft document will help to elucidate the planning structure, determine the problems and possible methods of their resolution. Single Window is not just a technical project; first of all it is a political and organizational instrument. Mario Apostolov stressed the importance of the proposal on the necessity of developing the Trade Facilitation National Strategy.
