TRA directed to address glitches in new custom clearance system

Commisionner General of Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has been ordered to resolve without fail, all challenges brought up by clients over the new custom clearance system at the Dar es Salaam Port.

Making the order public yesterday in parliament, Deputy Minister for Finance Adam Malima, said the Commissioner General of TRA in collaboration with Port authority must work on the challenges that are undermining efficiency at the port.

Introduced in March this year, Deputy Minister Malima said the Tanzania Custom Integrated System (TANCIS) that has replaced the old system, ASYCUDA++, is meant to improve the quality of services including maintenance of inventory of overstayed goods that was previously a matter of much concern.

The Deputy Minister was prompted to give the explanation by a supplementary question by Murtaza Mangungu, Kilwa North Legislator (CCM) who said there has been a long time cry from businessmen over the inefficiency of the new system.

“When you go there, TRA officials say the system is down or not working properly…there are unnecessary losses and cumbersome processes to businessmen, why don’t you work on it?” he queried.

“The major advantage of TANCIS is its ability to speed up clearance of goods…it also facilitates tracking movement of goods from the point of shipment to landing…operational costs incurred by agents are significantly reduced,” Malima explained to the House.

He mentioned other benefits of the new system to include improvement of controls through inbuilt automated checks, efficient use of both financial and human resources, reduction of costs for doing business and monitoring movements of cargo.

According to stakeholders in clearing and forwarding, the new custom clearance system provides specific codes for goods simplifying the process of releasing goods from bonded warehouses.