The Serbian customs administration has set up the legal and IT framework for implementing the new Pre-Arrival Processing system (PAP). All three national express operators have applied for a license for this trade facilitation measure and have already been approved.
Henceforth, the last pilot phase is due. Within this phase the express providers have to adapt their own IT systems to the new standards enabling an automatic data exchange between the customs administration and express companies. This will be accompanied by a change management process particularly designed to address the employees of customs and express providers.
The implementation of regionally agreed trade facilitation measures is a political priority for the region. To align implementation standards regionally and to ensure similar working procedures, Serbian and Montenegrin customs officials regularly exchange information with colleagues from other Western Balkan countries on their progress in project implementation and lessons learned. This has created a valuable network that facilitates the introduction of Pre-Arrival Processing systems in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia.
