“…Working with the banks, Central Bank and the rest of the financial sector, we have been pushing the importance of digitising the payments across the national system, and Customs is a part of that process, and therefore we anticipate that we should be able to complete that process pretty soon,” he stated. “Having moved from the paper of ASYCUDA++ to a paperless environment in ASYCUDA World, it is now the intention with respect to the extension of the technical assistance programme, to be able, in part, to digitise the payment systems so that the facilitation element with respect to government as well as the private sector is seamless. He added that Cabinet has since approved an extension for technical assistance from UNCTAD.

Straughn noted that with the assistance of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), ASYCUDA World was successfully implemented last year. But certainly it is an evolution given that a lot of technical assistance and training has to now be completed within the context of the Customs Department and the administration broadly, but certainly with respect to training amongst the private sector, in order for Barbados to be truly world-class,” he explained. “This is a … process of which the Bill is a part. The minister said CARTAC had been engaged for an updated policy position on what would be required to modernise the Customs Department and government immediately set about the task of ensuring it could remedy a lot of the longstanding issues. That is where we want to focus and position the legislation … “I look forward to piloting this in parliament in the very near future, at the end of these consultations,” he stated. “The intent of the draft Customs Bill is not solely focused on fines, but a number of reforms we are putting in place relating to the Trusted Trader Programme and … aimed at improving business facilitation. Straughn emphasised the importance of the three in-depth meetings with Customs officials and the business community, saying he was looking forward to the feedback on the new legislation. Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan StraughnīRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) - Minister in the ministry of finance, Ryan Straughn, reinforced that the government of Barbados “remains committed to improving the business climate,” speaking at the virtual opening of the Draft Customs Bill Consultation, hosted by the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Customs and Excise Department.

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