Twenty-five public and private-sector representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan now know about the best practices in implementing electronic queue management systems (e-QMS) thanks to a study tour to France and Estonia.
e-QMS provide digital solutions to traditional physical queues, help optimize traffic at the border and transport terminals, reduce waiting time and streamline transport flows. The system has long been in use in several European countries, proving efficient in saving money and time for local businesses as it allows for better planning of export operations.
Customs delays are one of the major obstacles to trade within the Central Asian region and with the EU: in a recent survey by the International Trade Centre (ITC), more than 75% of all respondents mentioned long queues and delays at border crossing checkpoints as factors hindering trade. Implementing a system like the e-QMS used in Estonia and France would help eliminate these bottlenecks.
The study tour took place from 5 to 10 September 2022 and allowed Central Asian officials and experts dealing with trade, customs and logistics matters to learn from their peers in France and Estonia. The tour was organized by ITC under its Ready4Trade Central Asia project, funded by the European Union (EU).
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