The EU will help strengthen the Moldovan Customs Service's management and IT capacities and implement the European agenda in the customs sector
This was announced by the representatives of the European Commission's Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) at a meeting with the director of the Customs Service, Alexandru Iacub, which was also attended by the representative of the EU High Level Advisers Mission (EUHLAM), Dorel Fronea. As noted in the Customs Service’s (CS) report, the dialog focused on the results of jointly implemented projects, strategic development priorities, as well as needs for external assistance in the field of anti-fraud and trade facilitation. Alexandru Iacub highlighted the institutional priorities, focusing on the process of digitalization of the customs system and the development of an IT strategy to improve the quality of services for the business environment, as well as on ensuring exclusively electronic interaction between customs and business. The CS director said that the service's main priority is to adapt its administrative and operational capacities to the EU customs requirements, as well as to digitalize the processes by developing the necessary information infrastructure to ensure interconnection and compatibility with the EU IT systems, before Moldova joins the EU space. At the same time, he also highlighted the recent achievements in the digitalization field, among which he mentioned the national implementation of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS), another tool for trade facilitation, stemming from Moldova's European integration commitments. In this context, Alexandru Iacub thanked the representatives of DG TAXUD for the support provided in this respect, noting that the financial and technical assistance provided by the European Commission significantly contributed to the harmonization of the legal framework and the development of information systems needed for Moldova's accession to the Convention on Common Transit in the first half of 2025. Another important result recorded in the cross-border cooperation area is the completion of the pilot project on data exchange between the customs authorities of Moldova, Ukraine and Moldova. Representatives of DG TAXUD expressed willingness to support the customs authority, including on the platform of the Customs Subcommittee within the framework of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement, in the process of harmonization of the legislation with the community norms, in strengthening the administrative capacity and in the field of information technologies, as well as in providing expertise in the implementation of the European agenda in the customs field. // 15.10.2024 - InfoMarket.
