DUSHANBE, January 25, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has completed its Regional Customs Modernization and Infrastructure Development Project in Tajikistan, which was designed to improve the efficiency and transparency of customs services to facilitate trade and promote regional customs cooperation, press release issued by the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) said.

The project developed a unified automated information system to process customs declarations, installed the system in 72 customs posts, and trained customs officers in its operation.  The system allows better monitoring of cargo transportation through borders and its delivery to a destination place, improving the quality of customs control, clearance procedures, and collection of customs duties.

To strengthen customs processing capacity, the project also constructed and rehabilitated priority border posts, and procured vehicles, X-ray machines, and diesel generators.

According to a project completion report, import clearance time fell to 1-2 days by the end of 2011, from 10 days in 2005.  Customs revenue collection more than quadrupled over the project implementation period from $103 million in 2003 to $485 million in 2011.  Tracing irregularities in customs declarations has also become much easier.

“Improving customs services is a prerequisite for booming trade,” said C.C. Yu, ADB’s Country Director for Tajikistan. “ADB will continue to help the Government to further improve its customs services by gradually developing a single window facility in Tajikistan.”

ADB provided a $10.7 million loan for the project, co-financed by a $1.6 million grant from the Government of the United States of America, and a contribution of $2.68 million from the Tajik Government.  The Customs Service was the Executing Agency for the project, which was approved in 2004.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, and to date, the institution has approved total assistance of over $966 million in concessional loans, grants and technical assistance to the country. ADB’s operations benefit the population by reducing isolation, increasing communication, broadening access to electricity, improving social services, and creating more income-generating opportunities.