The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority has concluded making all the necessary preparations to expand the application of the clearance initiative within the two hours specified by the noble royal order and to work on this in collaboration with 26 government agencies, which serve as customs clearance agencies.
The Authority is expanding the implementation of the initiative in order to further the clearance system's efforts to facilitate cross-border trade in line with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 to become a global platform for logistics service.
According to the Authority, importers' dedication in utilizing the feature of pre-submitting the documents needed for importation 72 hours before the consignment arrives at the port, in addition to meeting all clearance requirements from the relevant authorities, contributed to the accomplishments made during the final stage of the clearance system, which reached record times during the clearance period.
In this regard, the Authority, through its integrated work with the National Competitiveness Center and in continuous cooperation and coordination with the clearing authorities, has achieved a tangible development at the level of customs clearance procedures within the framework of its strategy that meets the requirements of the Kingdom's vision 2030 to be a pioneer in customs work at the regional and global level, fostering national competitiveness and enhancing national competitiveness.
The Authority's impressive clearance procedure results through various customs ports attest to the success of its development initiatives aimed at reducing the clearance period to record lows, the effects this has on the flexibility and ease of import flow, and the improvement of performance and productivity indicators at all customs ports.
The most notable development that the Authority may have made through the clearing procedures stresses how these actions have enhanced and strengthened the Kingdom's position in the global competitiveness index by promoting a more welcoming business environment. Contributions from the public and private sectors, as well as those from the local, national, and international levels, have all been made in support of this trend.
In this regard, the Authority explained that the initiative to expand the clearance within two hours would contribute to achieving a package of positive effects as it allows re-forming processes, developing systems, automating them electronically, and raising their digital efficiency, which highlights the Kingdom's competitive capabilities to develop regional and international trade businesses and facilitates its cross-border activities. The program supports the National Competitiveness Center's initiatives to strengthen the business climate in the Kingdom and to boost company performance in the private sector.
In addition to its role in increasing the movement of national exports, reviving maritime trade through Saudi ports, facilitating the operations of the import and export system in the Kingdom, and opening new horizons for investment in the logistics industry in the Kingdom, which drives economic growth and increases productivity, the initiative will also contribute to revitalizing the commercial movement by applying the highest quality standards in providing services.
It is noteworthy that the "clearance within two hours" initiative was decided to expand in accordance with the noble royal decree that the Authority expand the implementation of initiative and coordinate with the relevant authorities, each within its own jurisdiction, taking into account the competencies of each authority and the nature of its missions.
The initiative after extending its application to the concerned government agencies to send the response to release the goods, or not, or request manual inspection, provide more documentation, or indicate the need for time to study the request, or any other procedure, within two hours from the time of receiving the request by technical connection after the commercial establishment fulfills all the requirements and submits the consignment data electronically.
