Software
What is ASYCUDA?
The Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) is a computerized customs management system that covers most foreign trade procedures. It handles manifests and customs declarations, along with accounting, transit and suspense procedures. It also generates trade data that can be used for statistical economic analysis. The ASYCUDA software is developed by UNCTAD.
ASYCUDA uses international codes and standards developed by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), WCO (World Customs Organization) and United Nations. It can be configured to suit the national characteristics of individual customs regimes, national tariffs and legislation. ASYCUDAprovides Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between traders and customs using prevailing standards, such as XML.
Background
In 1981, UNCTAD received a request from the Secretariat of the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) to help compile foreign trade statistics in their Member States. After an initial evaluation, it quickly became apparent that this would require the involvement of customs clearance offices, and the modernization of customs clearance processes, to achieve quality results.
Capitalizing upon advances in computer technology (the personal computer had at that time sufficiently matured to be seriously considered as a business tool), UNCTAD proposed to develop a customs software system which would be modular, adaptable and configurable so that it could be used in difficult environments requiring only a small number of trained maintenance staff.
At first, the plan was received with skepticism as many countries used mainframe systems with on-site specialized computer engineers to support them. However, with the assistance of some Member States, UNCTAD succeeded in developing a customs management system, which is now commonly known as ASYCUDA.
ASYCUDA was originally developed on microcomputers which were extremely limited by today’s standards. To implement a complex customs system in a multi-user environment on such a platform, a technical solution had to be applied. This solution stretched the capacity of these machines to the limit.
Over the years capacity and performance of microcomputers rapidly improved and major revisions of the ASYCUDAsoftware have led to what is, today, a stable and highly reliable system. Additionally, a porting to the UNIX operating system has broadened the choice of suitable hardware platforms to also include a number of minicomputers.
For customs and trade administrations to benefit from the latest innovations in information technology (IT), UNCTAD regularly designs and develops new versions of its flagship ASYCUDA software, and the fourth and latest iteration, ASYCUDAWorld, uses and takes advantage of the latest open and web-based technology.
