30-8-2017
Implementing provisional cargo entry system like ATA Carnet would go a long way in promoting Qatar as a global investment destination, Qatar Chamber’s legal affairs department director has said.
Addressing a workshop organised by Qatar Chamber on the implementation of the ATA Carnet System, Abdulaziz Saleh al Kuwari said it would open up “trade horizons” for the country.
The two-day workshop is aimed at employees of the Chamber and the General Authority of Customs. It provides an overview of the system, how it is applied, and a number of procedures and mechanisms related to the entry and exit of goods under this system.
Kuwari, who is also the chairman of the committee on the provisional admission system for goods, said the workshop was the result of continuous cooperation between the Chamber and the General Authority of Customs.
Its primary objective is to keep pace with the international developments in all economic fields, he added.
“Qatar Chamber has taken several steps after it was invited to be the ‘national guarantor’ for the Istanbul Convention on Temporary Admission, which requires a national guarantor to guarantee customs duties and rights if goods temporarily imported are not returned,” Kuwari said.
He said facilitating the entry and movement of goods between countries and facilitating customs procedures is an important and essential step for supporting export and import processes and traders in general.
These efforts have been consistent with the policies of Qatar, which is keen on keeping pace with the international developments in all fields, including trade and investment, he added.
International Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ju Sung Lee said the ATA Carnet System would help make Qatar attractive to foreign investors and organisers of global sports events and exhibitions.
“It would also send a strong message to the business community that Qatar is ready to host business thanks to the facilitative advantages it offers to this sector of business,” she added.
Lee said she believes the system would bring many benefits to Qatar and accelerate regional cooperation. Describing the system as an “international passport for goods”, she said it would expedite the import-export process.
“It is an important trading tool enabling the business to develop its export capabilities.”
The ATA Carnet system is an international customs document that allows the temporary import of goods for a period of one year without any fees or customs taxes. The temporary entry card includes all goods, provided that they are re-exported and imported during the period approved by the relevant customs authorities.
One of the most important features of the system is that it enables marketing representatives, exhibition participants and business travelers to carry out customs procedures at a predetermined cost, and to visit several countries without delay in procedures. It facilitates customs procedures across borders and reduces the routine requirements, using a single document to complete all customs procedures in 78 countries applying the system
