Single Window (AL0037)

In order to facilitate and accelerate the procedures for trade in the custom system, the General Directorate of Customs will centralize the administration of requests and procedures through a single window. The utilization of a single window will reduce the time of administrative practices, will reduce the cost and inevitably increase the transparency level. The interface between private sector and the General Directorate of Customs it will be a web portal interface. The institutional cooperation and coordination of actions will be in real time. The single window will raise the transparency level of transactions between the administration and the private sector.

For Commitment details, see Albania Mid-Term Report 2014-2016.

Commitment 2.3. Single Window

Cluster 4: Simplified Customs Services – 2.3 and 3.4

This cluster is composed of two commitments, as follows:

Commitment 2.3. Single Window

Commitment 2.3. Text: In order to facilitate and accelerate the procedures for trade in the custom system, the General Directorate of Customs will centralize the administration of requests and procedures through a single window. The utilization of a single window will reduce the time of administrative practices, will reduce the cost and inevitably increase the transparency level. The interface between private sector and the General Directorate of Customs it will be a web portal interface. The institutional cooperation and coordination of actions will be in real time. The single window will raise the transparency level of transactions between the administration and the private sector.

Responsible institution: General Directorate of Customs

Supporting institution(s): N/A

Start date: 2014 End date: 2016

Commitment 3.4. E-document

Commitment 3.4. Text: Forms and documents to be completed for different procedures in the customs system are not only complicated but also numerous. In the aim to facilitate the access to the customs system we shall introduce the e-document. Not only will we facilitate the use of different forms and documents, but we will also contribute in the establishment of a paperless environment. The provision of public services in electronic way through e-documents and e-forms will facilitate the procedures for citizens and business, by reducing the costs and time employed for this services, it will also improve the degree of access to information for citizens thus making the procedures more transparent. E-documents will:

1. Improve public access by making selected documents, transparency and valid information for citizens available online.

2. Streamline citizen services by allowing licensees to submit electronic documents with their online applications.

3. Increase efficiency by eliminating filing, retrieving and re-filing of paper documents, and reducing time spent searching for misplaced paperwork.

4. Reduce the cost and clutter associated with manual, paper-based processes, and the printing and archiving of paper records.

5. Allow the public to submit electronic documents with online complaint forms.

Responsible institution: General Directorate of Customs

Supporting institution(s): N/A

Start date: 2014 End date: 2016

Commitments Aim:

Customs procedures in Albania have been costly and time consuming both for private operators and for the customs administrators processing the customs applications.

The Single Window and e-document commitments aim at improving custom services for operators in Albania’s trade exchange system. The commitments accomplish this by reducing costs and facilitating procedures both for economic operators and for the customs administration. The Single Window was meant to provide an interconnected system (telematic network) that enables state institutions to exchange communications and files (e-document).

Status

Commitment 2.3

Midterm: Limited

Limited progress was made to implement the Single Window. The General Directorate of Customs has set up a working group for the project, which was still in an early phase of development at the action plan’s one-year mark. The government expected delays in the project because of technical issues. In order for the Single Window to work, additional investments were required in other state institutions’ ICT systems.

End of term: Limited

No additional progress was made on implementing the Single Window in 2015–2016. The government’s end-of-term self-assessment report (September 2016) does not mention any new developments except a training session on the Single Window project. The training session, which took place in June 2016, focused on developing the knowledge and capacities of a core team of Albanian experts for the planning, preparation, and implementation of the Single Window project. ^{United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), http://www.unece.org/tradewelcome/trademeetings/trade-workshops/workshops/2016/workshop-on-establishing-an-albanian-single-window/doc.html#/.}

Commitment 3.4

Midterm: Limited

Interviewed representatives of the General Directorate of Customs reported that the terms of reference for the e-document tender have been detailed. The National Agency for Information Society was tasked with opening the tender procedure, which, by the time of drafting the IRM midterm report, was not published.

End of term: Limited

No additional progress was noted on the implementation of the e-document commitment during 2015–2016. The government’s end-of-term self-assessment report states that “development and implementation of a project based on paperless customs is completed.” However, the paperless project referred to in the self-assessment report is a different project, which pertains to internal operations within the General Directorate of Customs. The e-document commitment is about the electronic provision of public services through e-documents and e-forms. This was meant to replace the so-called “postman” system for business operators, simplifying and streamlining the process. Currently, business operators have to visit multiple institutions in order to obtain official documents for customs. But the new service is not in operation. The government’s end-of-term self-assessment report notes that this commitment will require an amendment to legislation.

Did it open government?

The IRM midterm report found that these commitments were irrelevant to OGP values of access to information, civic participation, and public accountability. The limited implementation progress has not demonstrated any early results that could contribute to opening government. ^{IRM progress report, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Albania_Second%20IRM%20Report_for%20public%20comment.}

Carried forward?

These commitments were not carried forward in the new action plan.