The European Union (EU) and the Secretariat for Economic Integration of Central America (SIECA) donated computer equipment to six countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, to ensure the operation of the Central American Digital Trade Platform, the regional body reported this Thursday (18.03.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX).
According to SIECA, “The Digital Trade Platform is a regional initiative that has a contribution of 8 million euros from the EU and will be administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).Donors hope that its implementation will promote competitiveness and productive diversification, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region; will ensure interoperability, transparency, traceability, efficiency and fluidity between the national customs computer systems of the 6 countries involved. Furthermore, it will “allow for data integration to speed up the electronic submission of documents required for the exchange of goods in the region, reducing waiting times at customs and optimizing regional import, export and transit processes.”
The initiative, also framed within the Central American Strategy for Trade Facilitation and Competitiveness, will have a major impact on integrated border management, an area in which the EU has long experience and international recognition. Furthermore, this tool will be essential within the framework of the EU-CA Association Agreement through the design and implementation of a Digital Services Broker that will incorporate the technological modernization of the health, immigration, customs and Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCE) processes and procedures in the region.
In this regard, the EU Ambassador to Nicaragua, Pelayo Castro, said: “Regional integration driven by our partners in Central America and supported directly by EU cooperation is key to boosting economic recovery and developing the productive and export sector of the entire region, promoting the well-being and prosperity of the citizens of Central America. The Digital Trade Platform responds to the needs of companies, producers and the private sector of the participating countries to take advantage of the benefits and advantages of the EU-CA Association Agreement.”
SIECA information details that the Digital Trading Platform, expected to be operational by the end of 2021, is part of a regional EU cooperation programme, worth 20.5 million euros, in support of economic integration. In this way, the programme contributes to deepening regional integration and better use of the benefits of the EU-CA Association Agreement; it also supports efforts to modernise the regional regulatory framework on key issues such as trade facilitation, competition, mobility and logistics; it has also given continuity to successful projects in benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, such as the program Eko Bootcamp which has strengthened the export business capacities of more than 120 Central American companies in its first phase.
Likewise, this program contributes to "stimulating trade in Central American services and goods towards Europe in five value chains (coffee, cocoa, fish, fruits and vegetables) with a approach that promotes environmental sustainability and gender equality”, concludes SIECA.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
