Customs Director Vitalie Vrabie met with the Regional Coordinator of the United Nations Trade and Development Conference (UNCTAD) Coordinator Dmitry Godunov in Chisinau.

The meeting took place in the context of the Customs process for updating the customs information system based on the latest version of the Asycuda World application software.

According to the agreements at the meeting, the parties would sign in the near future an agreement stipulating the terms and conditions of delivery of the new information product, with all the necessary modules integrated. Depending on the number of additional modules developed, the exact cost to be paid by the Customs Service will also be determined. For the time being, it is estimated at around 300,000 euros.

Vitalie Vrabie mentioned the importance of implementing the new software as soon as possible so that it is possible to continue updating the management information system.

"All our modernization and automation projects can only be continued if we have a new version of Asycuda World, which is why we expect to apply the new software in no more than five months", said Vitalie Vrabie.

In turn, the UNCTAD representative has shown openness to continue cooperation and to speed up the implementation of the new version.

Publika.md recalls that UNCTAD's offering of the latest version of ASUCUDA World is provided by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Geneva by Customs Service Director Vitalie Vrabie Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD Joakim Reiter on 7 November 2016 The document was concluded for five years.

In addition to delivering the new version of Asycuda World, the Memorandum also provides for UNCTAD to provide technical and methodological assistance in using the application.

Keeping that software will help significantly improve the performance of the national customs system, enabling the automation of all customs clearance processes. The new application will also provide a higher level of security of the stored information, while also enabling electronic information exchange with national partner authorities.

At the same time, the necessity to accelerate the implementation of the new version is also dictated by the conditionality stipulated in the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, especially in the context of the implementation of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) and the One Stop Shop.