DUSHANBE, April 11, 2011, Asia-Plus — The Unified Automated Information System (UAIS) will be fully introduced into operation in Tajikistan by October this year, Daler Rashidbekov, director of the Unit for Management of the Regional Customs Modernization and Infrastructure Development Project, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on April 11.
According to him, to-date, they have drawn 81 percent of funds allocated for the project. “A total cost of the project is more than 13.3 million U.S. dollars, including 1.6 million U.S. dollars allotted by the Government of the United States in no-strings aid, a US$10.7 million loan provided by the Asian Development Bank and a US$2.67 million contribution of the Government of Tajikistan,” Rashidbekov noted.
The project has been implemented in Tajikistan by R.I.S.K. Company, Azerbaijan since the summer of 2009.
The project manager Fuad Mamedov noted that specialists from R.I.S.K. in cooperation with specialists from Tajik Customs Service have installed the system at 76 customs points of the country to date.
We will recall that Tajik Customs Services and R.I.S.K. singed a contract for the development of UAIS under the ongoing Regional Customs Modernization and Infrastructure Development Project financed by the ADB in July 2009. This is the largest contract ever signed by the Customs Service.
The Project is a continuation of ADB support for customs reform and modernization for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan under the CAREC program. The Project”s objectives are: 1) to improve the efficiency and transparency of customs services, and reinforce the ongoing customs legal reforms and simplification of customs procedures; and 2) to facilitate trade and promote regional customs cooperation through concerted customs reforms and modernization in the West and Central Asian region.
This component consists of three interrelated subcomponents: (i) developing the core UAIS application systems and associated operation-support systems; (ii) developing communications infrastructure to support UAIS operation (i.e., providing and strengthening the communication links between the Customs Services headquarters, regional customs offices, customs border posts, and inland clearance points); and (iii) providing training and a public awareness campaign to ensure sustainability and broad-based support for customs services.
