Sri Lanka Customs’ new Paperless Customs Declaration Process takes effect today (1), as part of efforts to digitalise and modernise the customs clearance system.

From today, all importers and declarants must submit customs declarations and relevant documents bearing a valid digital signature.

Declarations under the previous system will no longer be accepted.

The new system can detect changes made to documents after a digital signature is applied, with authorities expecting this to strengthen the integrity of the customs clearance process and reduce opportunities for fraud and corruption.