• Trader lobbying prompts call for more time to adopt digital signatures 
• Process is scheduled to become mandatory from 1 Oct.
• Current system cannot digitally sign documents  

The mandatory introduction of Sri Lanka Customs’ paperless Customs Declaration (CusDec) process, currently scheduled for 1 October this year, may be extended amidst lobbying by the trader community for more time to adapt to the requirement.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Sri Lanka Customs Media Spokesman Chandana Punchihewa said that traders were currently lobbying for an extension, citing difficulties faced in adopting digital signatures.

He said that the paperless declaration process was currently scheduled to become mandatory from 1 October, although an extension remained possible. 

At present, CusDecs are already filed digitally through the Customs system. However, the consignee has no way of digitally signing the document, which makes it necessary to accept a physically signed document as well. 

Punchihewa said that the paperless process involved introducing digital signatures, thereby removing the need to collect physical CusDecs.

“Under the current system, there is no way to digitally sign documents. We have now made it mandatory to obtain a digital signature, after which all submitted documents will have to be digitally signed. Accordingly, all documents uploaded to the system will have to be signed digitally through LankaSign. As a result, we will no longer need to accept physical documents,” he said.

He revealed that Customs was also planning to update its system from the current AsycudaWorld system to the modern ASY5 system.

Commenting on the need to upgrade to the ASY5 system, Punchihewa said: “We are already close to exceeding the capacity under our current system, which has caused slowdowns. The new system also has a lot more features that we can use for risk management.”

Earlier this year, Sri Lanka Customs announced that the paperless Customs declaration process at the Long Room would become mandatory with effect from 1 October, requiring all CusDecs and relevant supporting documents to be submitted using valid digital signatures.

According to the notice, with effect from that date, the manual processing and submission of CusDecs and supporting documents will no longer be accepted. All importers and declarants were accordingly requested to make the necessary arrangements, including obtaining the required digital signatures, to ensure full compliance with the mandatory requirement.