On 27 January, 2023, the Eswatini Revenue Services (ERS) held a virtual meeting to officially kick off the development of the new electronic advance ruling system project. The electronic advance ruling system is being developed by the WCO under a partnership between the EU-WCO Programme for Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme) funded by the European Union, and the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme funded by the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
The electronic advance ruling tool intervenes as part of a comprehensive support to ERS in improving tariff and origin infrastructures and to contribute to the efforts of ERS in Customs modernisation and reform. The project combines the development of the tool with capacity building. The WCO has been supporting ERS under the HS Africa Programme with the implementation of advance ruling and building capacities in tariff classification. The Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme has been assisting ERS initiatives as a cross cutting enabler for trade facilitation. Hence, the joint support and concerted efforts by both programmes shall maximize the impact and yield tangible results in Eswatini and further contribute to meet the international standards of the WCO, WTO and the AfCFTA.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Brightwell Nkambule, ERS Commissioner General, highlighted the importance of the project emphasizing that it aligns with ERS’s strategic plan which embraces digitalization to improve efficiency and trade facilitation while supporting the engagement of the trading community. "Our revenue is dependent on the compliance level of our clients, so the intent is to make compliance easier for our clients". He then added, "We embrace technology to improve efficiency, trade facilitation and the enforcement drive, as well as the customer experience". He highlighted that ERS is committed to the implementation of the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
The electronic advance ruling tool will be used by the trading community to electronically submit requests for advance rulings and by ERS Custom’s officers to review, assess, deliver and publish the advance rulings. The system is designed to provide a more efficient, transparent and simplified way to obtain advance rulings as a way of facilitating trade.
In closing, the ERS Commissioner General thanked the two programmes working in partnership sponsored by HMRC and by the EU for the continued support in ERS’s reform and digitalization journey and reiterated that the kickoff of the project is just the beginning of many modernization initiatives.
For more details, please contact hs@wcoomd.org