This follows an expiry of the company's Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract. The move, according to TRA, is designed to centralize customs operations and ease port congestion. Services offered currently by TRA include pre-arrival declaration processing, cargo scanning, computerised risk management and capacity building.
TISCAN has for seven years since its establishment in the country, managed to transfer innovative, tailor-made services to facilitate the import of trade while securing government revenues.
It has enabled TRA to become 100 per cent paper free and transact 65,000 import declaration documents, annually.
Mr Walid Juma, TRA Commissioner for Customs and Excise, told the 'Daily News' in an interview in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday that all clearing operations are being handled by customs officials with objectives of minimising unnecessary delays.
TRA has been undertaking clearance services for sometime. Customs Department has been handling documents for Pre-Arrival Destinations (PAD) for cargo not exceeding 5,000 US dollars and special consignments. On top, all documents that were cleared by TISCAN had to get the TRA's approval
"We are determined in delivering efficient clearing services at all customs check points particularly at the Dar port and airport. Workers are capable and highly motivated to reduce the number of days of clearance procedures," he said.
He said there are few cases of delays which at most times are caused by the clearing agents mistakes in filling up the clearance documents. Also some clearance agents have not been submitting clearance documents for the PAD on time, leading to unnecessary delays.
He said agents are supposed to declare goods to be cleared 10 days before the arrival in order to avoid delays. It takes a maximum of 48 hours for the customs officials to pass and verify the document before proceeding with other procedures.
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