THE ADVANCE CUSTOMS DECLARATION COMES INTO EFFECT
(Mnt Goat: Looks like no more “hanky-panky” in falsifying documents for imports in order to get dollars. 
This should really help in the cause to shut down the parallel market. )
The decision to activate the system of prior customs declarations will come into effect starting today, Monday, in a step that is considered pivotal to regulating trade, controlling the market and preventing the disruptions that accompany import operations, as well as its role in protecting the local product and enhancing the confidence of the private sector and citizens in the integrity of the procedures.
This system represents an essential tool for tightening control over the entry of goods, as it requires the submission of the advance customs declaration issued by the ASYCUDA system, including the rapid access code (QR), via the OR platform within the validity of issuance system, along with the final commercial documents that include the declaration number, a final commercial contract or invoice with the total value, a description of the materials, their quantities, the country of origin and shipping, the name of the exporter and importer, the border crossing, the chassis number for cars, the name and code of the importing bank and company, and the data of the clearing agent.
The decision also requires that no external transfer be carried out by banks unless they are provided with the prior customs declaration and accompanying documents, and obliges them to include the declaration number in the transfer system (SWIFT) instead of the previous data, which makes the declaration a “passport” for any commercial transfer.
Economic expert Khaled Al-Jabri told Al-Sabah that “regulating the market begins with accurately controlling import and export operations, and knowing the nature of the goods entering and leaving and the entities that own them.”
He added that in order for the advance customs declaration to play its true role, the legislative framework needs to be updated through a new tax law and a clearer companies law, in addition to regulating the labor law and commercial agencies.
Dollar transfers
The spokesperson pointed out that this regulation should be accompanied by clear oversight of dollar transfers to prevent any ambiguity that could negatively affect market stability.
Al-Jabri explained that these measures will determine the routes of commercial transfers and control border crossings and customs revenues, which gives regulatory institutions greater ability to follow up and enhances the confidence of the private sector and citizens in the integrity of the procedures, warning that the continuation of chaos keeps the door open for manipulation, while precise regulation constitutes an essential step towards a more stable market.
Updating the commercial register
Al-Jabri addressed the phenomenon known as “burned companies” and said: Registering alternative companies to escape accountability is a practice that must end in conjunction with cleaning up and updating the commercial register.
He pointed out that eliminating this method will reduce evasion and enhance legal accountability, stressing the need to impose strict controls on importers and adopt precise specifications that ensure the entry of compliant goods and enhance transparency and smoothness in the market.
Clear customs system
For his part, industrial development consultant Amer Al-Jawahiri believes that the advance customs declaration represents a new method for regulating financial movement, and it should be applied in all of Iraq’s ports without exception.
He pointed out that the success of this step is linked to providing accurate pricing at the ports, which ensures a clear customs system that reduces cases of illicit enrichment.
Al-Jawahiri stated that the application of this system must be based on modern digital means that ensure the accuracy of the procedures, indicating that the evaluation of its results will be clearer after a period of its application.
Adjusting procedures
It is worth noting that the pre-declaration system will be implemented gradually starting from the first of this month, initially applying mandatorily to a range of goods including gold, cars, electrical appliances, and mobile phones, with the aim of expanding its application to all goods by the beginning of next year. This system is expected to streamline customs procedures, regulate imports, and provide accurate statistics to inform import policy.
Post-check
The advance declaration is also expected to become a passport for financial transfers, which will facilitate subsequent auditing and reveal cases of inflated invoices that some importers previously resorted to. The regulatory bodies will perform the matching according to digital mechanisms that were prepared in advance for this purpose, in addition to the oversight carried out by the Border Ports Authority and the newly established auditing centers in the Customs Authority.
In light of these measures, observers predict that the coming period will witness the establishment of new companies or the entry of others into the field of banking transfers, in an attempt to escape the violations that befell what is known as the “burned companies”.
