A new customs system set to be launched in Bahrain will be instrumental in speeding up clearance of imported and exported goods, said a senior official.

The new computerised procedure introduced by the government will be carried out at all of Bahrain's entry points from October 1.

"The new software has been eagerly awaited and we are happy it is being implemented," said Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) board member and customs committee chairman Abdulhakim Al Shammari.

"We are hoping it will ease the load on clearing agents and the procedures they currently follow."

Al Shammari was speaking at a session at the BCCI about the new procedures.

"Not only will the new procedure streamline the whole clearance process, it will also mean that, ultimately, traders will be able to pay duties on the goods they import online, thus saving valuable time."

Al Shammari said the biggest benefit of the new system would be that all import and export figures would be available at the press of a button.

"We were not up-to-date with the export and import figures and had to sometimes depend on old statistics," he said. "With the new system, one can get latest statistics immediately and that will be beneficial for trade."

Al Shammari said the customs committee was also in negotiations with the government to further improve and streamline procedures at entry points in regard to traffic, particularly at the King Fahad Causeway entry point.

"The delays at entry points and long queues there are sometimes because of procedures on the other side of the border, so there are others involved in helping streamline them," he said. – TradeArabia News Service