Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal and three other South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) member countries have agreed to facilitate the exchange of pre-arrival information between customs administrations.
Customs officials from Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Bangladesh signed the “Memorandum of Intent for Cooperation in Exchange of Pre-Arrival Information for Facilitation of Trade and Customs Control on Goods Between the Customs Administrations of South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Countries” on Thursday.
The agreement was signed during the 14th SASEC Customs Subgroup Meeting held in Male, Maldives, on August 19-20.
The framework aims to facilitate the exchange of key cargo information among the customs administrations of the four countries.
Under the agreement, customs administrations will exchange information on goods before shipments arrive at customs offices. The system is expected to help customs authorities assess risks in advance, allowing them to focus inspections on high-risk consignments while facilitating the faster clearance of low-risk goods.
Yamlal Bhusal, the director general of the Department of Customs, signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Nepal.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Customs, the arrangement is expected to reduce the time and cost involved in trade procedures, improve customs clearance and contribute to more efficient and predictable cross-border trade.
