Dubai Customs reported that it has processed 2.241 million transactions during the first quarter of 2016, compared to 2.217 million over the same period of 2015. These figures show a year-over-year growth despite the slowdown in economic activities worldwide.
The Customs transactions comprise 19 main services provided through 23 inland, sea and air port customs centers distributed all around the Emirate of Dubai. These transactions have been delivered through 6 channels, including Dubai Trade, B2G, Dubai Customs portal, and mobile and smart phone applications.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said that the growth in customs transactions processed in Q1 of 2016 shows the UAE economy started the year on a strong footing, under the leadership of HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President, and his brother HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Bin Sulayem added that Dubai Customs was able to see such growth in the number of processed transactions thanks to a comprehensive work strategy that is implemented to harness all available resources to deliver top-notch services and create initiatives that facilitate legitimate trade and make customers happy, including:
Smart Workspace
The Smart Workspace was developed to make customers happy by cutting down the time they need to fill in a Customs declaration from 15 – 20 minutes to only 1 – 5 minutes. The fact that 6.83 million Customs declarations were submitted in 2015 shows the importance of this tool.
Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)
Dubai Customs was among the first organisations in the Middle East to adopt the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program. It contributes to the establishing of strategic partnerships that ensure better security and facilitation of global trade via Mutual Recognition Agreements, as per the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework).
B2G
Dubai Customs, via the B2G system, offers its host of services to clients through various channels, such as the website, smart apps, and others. The 24/7 integrated system enables businesses, FZ companies, freight forwarders, airlines and Customs brokers to submit declarations online with easy transactional processing and E-payment taking place directly between both parties, in a timely efficient manner.
Risk Engine
The Risk Engine is a smart system fed with shipment information from various channels. Dubai Customs’ Intelligence Department collects, links and analyses such information to determine and address potential risks. The safe transactions (i.e. risk-free) are evaluated by the Risk Engine and cleared electronically without any human intervention in less than two minutes. The system is a great tool in facilitating trade flow without compromising community safety, in line with Dubai Customs’ vision to be “The leading Customs administration in the world supporting legitimate trade”, and its mission of “Protecting the society and sustaining economic development through compliance and facilitation”.
Virtual Corridor
The Virtual Corridor is a unique procedure that was launched by Dubai Customs in 2015 in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, DP World, JAFZA, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Logistics City, Dubai Airports and Dubai Trade.
The Virtual Corridor is the approved automated customs procedure to facilitate goods transport between two Dubai Customs centres by Dubai roads only, connecting the point of entry to the point of destination in the emirate.
The procedure enables hassle-free goods transport prior to their clearance under Cargo Transfer requests. It makes the entire process more streamlined, time-saving and cost-efficient without any financial burden. Deposit-related financial burdens have been considerably minimized by some AED 160 million after the Virtual Corridor was implemented.
More than 31,626 transfers of cargo through the Virtual Corridor have been processed since its launch in August 2014 till the end of January 2016.
Dubai Customs Mobile Application
A mobile app that runs on smartphones offering Dubai Customs full range of services to customers 24/7 nonstop wherever they are. The app helps customers access 27 main services to cut down the transaction processing time.
The Smart Claim and Refund System
The Smart Claim and Refund System provides a centralized platform to streamline and simplify refund and claim procedures of guarantees deposited under duty-suspended cases. It identifies revenue leakage in the refunds given by Dubai Customs, as well as develops and delivers People, Process and Technology (PPT) solutions to support the same. The system also is meant to help Dubai Customs calculate refunds in a more accurate and simplified manner, thereby reducing revenue leakage and significantly minimizing the refund time. Dubai Customs is the first Customs administration in the GCC to provide online refund facility.
The PCFC Chairman noted that “Dubai Customs is very keen to realize the objectives of the Dubai Plan 2021. Through its support to a robust foreign trade and its role in nurturing an appealing environment conducive to investment, Dubai Customs plays a key role in the UAE’s transition into a post-oil economy as well as creating a knowledge based economy in Dubai.”
On the other hand, the Director of Dubai Customs Ahmed Mahboob Musabih forecasts an even more noticeable and continuous increase in the number of processed transactions for the rest of the year, due to Dubai customs’ improved ability to process transaction faster than ever.
“Dubai Customs has assumed an active role in customs business development regionally and internationally. We are committed to assessing our performance in all areas, so as to be able to upgrade the services we offer to clients and ensure they enjoy an added value that helps them boost their revenues,” added Ahmed Mahboob Musabih.