ROP Customs rolls out measures in support of trade facilitation
INTEGRATED SERVICES: Risk Management System, One-Stop-Shop, 24-hour Call Centre, high tech inspection tools, and so on, designed to enhance Oman’s logistics edge
The Directorate General of Customs of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has unveiled a raft of measures designed to streamline, modernise and digitise customs procedures aimed ultimately at facilitating the speedy flow of import and export cargoes through Omani ports and airports.
The measures, according to a top ROP Customs official, include a new one-stop-shop for the processing of all customs-related applications that also concern approvals from other stakeholder government agencies, the operationalisation of a new Risk Management System (RMS) aimed at limiting customs inspections only to suspect shipments, a 24x7 Call Centre for customs related inquiries, a new Central Customs Operations Room, pre-clearance of goods before their arrival at Omani ports and airports, simplified procedures for goods channelled in and out of free zones, and the deployment of high-tech systems for inspection of cargoes.
The initiatives, said Colonel Khalifa al Siyabi — Director-General of Customs, will help drive a “paradigm shift” in trade facilitation services aimed at strengthening the Sultanate’s competitiveness in its ambitions to become a logistics-friendly destination regionally and globally.
Speaking at the Oman Ports Conference, organised by Al Roya in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communications on Monday, Col Al Siyabi said the new measures will complement the ROP Custom’s ‘Bayan’ system — an integrated online single window service that facilitates seamless, convenient and fast clearance of goods in the Sultanate.
“At the Directorate General of Customs, we are developing strategies to facilitate the role of ports and airports in supporting economic growth, while also advancing the nation’s objectives to evolve into a logistics destination,” the official said.
“In our globalised world, where the world is a small village, we can no longer countenance procedures that slow the pace of formalities for the clearance of goods. It is imperative that we work in collaboration with all of the government agencies and other stakeholders across the supply chain to deliver speedy, convenient and transparent customs services. This is essential to enhancing Oman’s competitiveness on the global stage.”
As part of the new measures, a new Risk Management System (RMS) has been activated, allowing for ROP Customs to inspect only cargoes flagged as suspicious. Deployed by customs authorities in modern economies around the world, the RMS analyses customs data received from diverse local, regional and international sources to pinpoint cargoes that are associated with an element of risk. Supporting the flow of information into the database are Interpol and world customs agencies, he said. Consequently, only such cargoes are subject to inspection, thereby ensuring the speedy clearance of the vast majority of shipments without the need for time-consuming inspections, he noted.
Also contributing to the expeditious processing of goods in and out of ports and airports is a new Central Customs Operations Room that provides information in real time to customs departments on risks and threats associated with specific shipments. Decisions on specific cargo inspections typically originate from this central operations facility, he said.
Significantly, a select number of logistics services providers in the Sultanate have been granted special authorisation for their goods to be cleared and inspected at their premises outside the port or airport. This is a major departure from the longstanding stipulation that goods can only be cleared and inspected at the points of entry or exit.
“Additionally, we have granted approvals to port operators themselves to start discharging containers even before the ship’s paperwork and passenger manifests are processed. This will allow for the speedy turnaround of ships at berth within 8 hours, as opposed to the average twoday berthing time.”
In yet another measure introduced by ROP Customs, importers and cargo clearing agents can simply go online to pre-clear their goods and pay the relevant customs duty. By comparison, these procedures required the personal presence of the agent at the Customs office before the change came into force, Col Al Siyabi said.