QCOSTARICA — The paperless cross-border trade initiative was created within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, which seeks, among other things, the digitalization of the information flows necessary for goods and services to cross borders, abandoning paper and opting for digital systems such as electronic customs declarations, electronic port management systems, electronic single windows, with the aim of processing trade-related information electronically.
This initiative was strengthened with the arrival of the COVID-19 crisis, when the need for countries, including Costa Rica, to migrate to paperless trade increased; due to measures such as physical distancing that limited the exchange of paper documents. This crisis has highlighted the importance of connectivity and trade agility in reducing possible impacts on trade and economies interconnected by global value chains.
In this sense, paperless cross-border trade has significant benefits in streamlining, reducing the time and cost of foreign trade operations and the environment, due to the elimination of paper for shipping, processing and exchanging information.
– Advertisement –
Thus, according to studies by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the digitalization of paperless cross-border trade can boost trade and the efficiency of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by 25% and 35%; as well as reduce export times by 24% in partial implementation and 44% in full implementation.
Costa Rica has taken important steps in the search for cross-border paperless electronic commerce due to market demands and its benefits, such as the implementation of non-intrusive equipment and random control systems in merchandise clearance, electronic signatures to ensure the integrity of the signed document and who signs, the creation of the authorized economic operator; among others.
So what does Costa Rica need to continue advancing towards a cross-border paperless trade economy and take advantage of all its benefits?
According to recommendations from the WTO Secretariat, in collaboration with ESCAP, first of all, an appropriate legal framework must be established, where the legal recognition of electronic transactions and documents can be functional and equivalent to paper versions, ensuring the identity of the issuer and/or recipient of electronic documents and their non-alteration over time.
Secondly, it is necessary to establish a favourable technical framework, in which technology and digital instruments collaborate to generate trust and security in interactions and/or transactions in a paperless trade system, for example, in the authentication of issuers and recipients of documents, electronic payments, compatibility in data transfer and telecommunications infrastructure for connectivity.
Finally, it is recommended to promote an effective governance environment and ensure the participation of all parties (public and private), since political support from the Government is essential, given the electronic exchange of information that must take place between company to government, from government to government and between companies to ensure the success of cross-border trade without borders in the country.
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
