On some major routes: 57 of transport time is lost at border crossings

• On some major routes:

• 57 % of transport time is lost at border crossings

• 38 % of transport costs are due to unofficial levies

• Long waiting times at borders result in major human suffering for drivers blocked in queues for hours/days

• harmful impact on the environment

• Border waiting times also cost billions annually => increasing the cost of goods for the end consumer, not to mention lost business opportunities.

• Border crossing facilitation is:

• Key to international trade, exports and imports

• Essential for growth and competiveness

• A driver of regional integration

• TIR Convention, 1975

• Establishes and regulates the only existing and operational global customs transit system

• Administered under UNECE auspices

• 69 Contracting Parties from 4 continents, among which Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Republic of Moldova,Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uzbekistan

• Pakistan recently acceded

• China expressed interest to join

• Border crossing facilitation through an internationally recognized and harmonized procedure with a single internationally valid customs document and guarantee
• Effective revenue protection and security without excessive administrative burden for customs and time/cost losses for operators

eTIR Reference Model (conceptual)

• eTIR Reference Model (conceptual)
• Adaptation of the legal framework (legal)
• Development of the required systems (technical)
• Corridor based step-by-step implementation, through, e.g. eTIR pilot projects:
• Between Iran (Islamic Republic of) and Turkey in the UNECE-IRU eTIR Pilot Project
• UNDA project to strengthen the capacities of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to facilitate legitimate border crossing, by means of increased secure electronic exchange of information between customs administrations (Georgia and Turkey).

14 Volet in USD

• 14 Volet in USD

Regression line vs plotted data

• Regression line vs plotted data

• - International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods

• - 56 Contracting Parties

• Latest accessions: Iran, Tajikistan

• Other LLDC: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Republic of Moldova, FYROM, Uzbekistan

• - Expressed interest to join: China

To facilitate cross border transport of goods through nationally coordinated, internationally harmonized, shorter, reduced formalities and controls of goods at borders

• To facilitate cross border transport of goods through nationally coordinated, internationally harmonized, shorter, reduced formalities and controls of goods at borders

• It covers:

Framework providing for a high degree of flexibility in organizing national and international cooperation

• Framework providing for a high degree of flexibility in organizing national and international cooperation

• No universal ‘one size fits all’ solution

• Examples of best practice are essential

• Integrated operational annexes are included, such as Annex 8 for road, Annex 9 for rail and (draft) Annex 10 for seaports

Handbook of Best Practices at Border Crossings

• Handbook of Best Practices at Border Crossings

• Reference material and more than 120 best practice examples at border crossings.

• It covers available legal instruments, inter-agency and international co-operation, balancing security and facilitation measures, processing of freight, risk management, design of border crossing points, use of ICT technologies, human resource management and benchmarking.

• Available at:http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/bcf/publications/OSCE-UNECE_Handbook.pdf

• The debate about BCP or inland clearance also applies in

• Afghanistan. Traditionally, all goods entering Afghanistan

• were cleared at the first point of entry (border), but

• duties collected at the border were often diverted by

• the provincial authorities, to the detriment of the State

• budget. The system was characterized by revenue losses,

• inadequate control, and a high level of corruption.

• An inland clearance scheme was introduced, with duties

• being collected in major cities where accounts were easier

• to control. State Customs revenue increased significantly.

• The scheme was supported by a World Bank Emergency

• Artur Bouten

• UNECE TIR SECRETARIAT

• Sustainable Transport Division

• 8-14, Avenue de la Paix CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland

• Phone: [phone]

• Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail]