Assessment of the Challenges Customs Import Clearance: The Case of Addis Ababa kality Customs Branch Office
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Date
2017-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study tries to found out the challenges of customs import clearance procedure and
identifying major factors behind them. Customs has been described for a century as one of a gate
keeper, with customs authorities representing a barrier through which international trade must
pass. But currently Customs plays a critical role in the implementation of a range of trade,
economic and social policies and contributes to the achievement of national development
objective focusing on trade facilitation and regulatory control. However, enormous amount of
time and money wasted due to long delays at customs in most sub-Sahara African Countries like
Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess the Challenges of Customs Import Clearance
Procedure on Trade Facilitation and Control at Addis Ababa kality Customs Branch Office. To
achieve the research objective, the study employed a descriptive method and used both
qualitative and quantitative research approach. Primary data were collected from all Customs
employees found in import clearance process teams and all customs clearing agents who have
permanent office at the branch. The finding of this study showed that the challenges of import
clearance procedure on trade facilitation and control mainly depend on human resource
management and development, cooperation and coordination, automation, customs valuations as
well as customs risk management techniques. Finally the study recommended that the middle and
top level management of ERCA should examine the overall system of risk management, human
resource management and development, cooperation and coordination among customs and other
government agencies, and customs automation utilization. Different literature shows that the
challenges of customs procedure vary from branch to branch and even from one customs
procedure to another at kality depending on the nature of the branch as the study entirely
delimited to study the issues of Addis Ababa kality Customs import clearance procedure it does
not represent the scene in other Branch office and other customs procedures. Thus, further
research needs to be conducted to address this customs procedure challenges in trade
facilitation and control.
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Keywords
identifying major, challenges of customs, cooperation and coordination