Dr. Deng Diar Diing, the Executive Secretary of Northern Corridor Secretariat speaks to the media in Juba. (-)

The Executive Secretary of the Northern Corridor Secretariat said South Sudan has initiated the automation of its customs management system in a bid to modernize services for international trade and transport operations.

Dr. Deng Diar Diing, said the automation will ensure the security of cargo transported from Port Mombasa in Kenya to Juba and will minimize disruptions during transit.

“In the case of South Sudan, we already have initiatives that are in place, one of which is automation of custom systems for the country,” Dr. Diar told the media in Juba.

“We have initiated engagement with the government of South Sudan, we have engaged with donors, and resources are being mobilized to automate our custom systems. Once that is done, then our cargo shall be secured from the port of Mombasa all the way to Juba.”

According to World custom regulations, the Revised Arusha Declaration stipulates that automation of Customs functions can improve efficiency and effectiveness and remove many opportunities for corruption.

It can also increase the level of accountability and provide an audit trail for later monitoring and review of administrative decisions and the exercise of official discretion.

Automated systems are configured in such a way as to minimize the opportunity for the inappropriate exercise of official discretion, face-to-face contact between Customs personnel and clients and the physical handling and transfer of funds.

The Northern Corridor is a multimodal trade route linking to the maritime Port of Mombasa, which serves the Member States of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda under the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Agreement (NCTTA) in a bid to promote regional cooperation by facilitating interstate and transit trade.

The Corridor is monitored and coordinated by the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA).