Dubai Customs showcases E-Clearance programme at GITEX 2006

The E-Clearance Programme enables importers, exporters, clearing agents, shipping agents and free zone companies to interact with Dubai Customs through online convenience and thus cut down processing times significantly.

Ali Alfelasi, Client Relations Officer, Dubai Customs, explained the goals of the ongoing project,

"Our client base is growing considerably every year and our target is to eventually have all Dubai Customs clients use the online service. The concept behind E-Clearance is to minimize paperwork, faster document clearance, and quicker response to customer enquiries by means of an interactive service on a 24/7 basis."

The programme is designed in such a way as to provide a seamless transition from the existing system for the end-users, namely the traders involved in imports and exports. It requires the clients to attend orientation courses to familiarize themselves on the processes involved.

Mr Alfelasi added, "Companies signing up for the service are required to register and attend our three-day E-Clearance course, which educates them on the processes involved and provides access codes for their accounts."

The E-Clearance Programme was created in 2003 and yielded 40 clients in the first year. This figure has grown more than 11 times to 450 clients by October 2006 and it is expected to reach 700 in two months time with more than 6,000 daily transactions.

Dubai Customs views GITEX 2006 as an opportunity to inform potential customers about its innovative IT-based programme and to provide an insight into how it fits into the constantly evolving Dubai World brand.