Representatives from the Delegation of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) officially handed over state-of-the-art IT equipment to the Customs Administration of the Republic of Serbia today. Valued at €545,000, this EU donation includes servers, data storage systems, and virtualization software, along with implemented training for employees on its usage.
The Customs Administration will use this equipment to develop the Integrated Tariff Management System (ITMS). This system aims to simplify customs procedures, ensure more precise determination of import and export tariffs, and enhance the alignment of Serbia's customs system with EU standards.
The European Union continues to provide substantial support to Serbian Customs, with total contributions exceeding €25 million. In addition to ITMS, this support includes the development of a data warehouse system and initiatives to establish automated export, import, and customs decision systems.
"In the context of Serbia's EU accession process, particularly regarding Chapter 29, these systems represent a significant step forward. The Customs Union requires that all customs operations be conducted electronically. Introducing e-customs systems contributes to digitization and advances e-governance—an essential element of public administration reform in Serbia. These systems will boost the competitiveness of Serbian companies in the European market while enhancing citizen security and improving revenue collection," stated Richard Masa, EUD Head of Section, Operations 2.
Dragan Kuzmanović, acting Assistant Director General of the Customs Administration, highlighted that the tariff system is the backbone of all customs operations, and that its implementation will contribute to the system modernize, trade facilitation and simplify tariff classification in customs declarations.
"Economic efficiency is another key benefit. By providing clear information about tariffs, ITMS will help economic oprators to pecisely determine costs and make informed decisions. Additionally, it ensures that all stakeholders understand tariff procedures, encourining promotion of transparency and alignment with EU regulations," Kuzmanović emphasized.
Jelena Ružičić, Team Leader of the Good Governance and Inclusive Growth Cluster at UNDP Serbia, added: "One of the goals of this initiative, which we are implementing in partnership with the EU and the Customs Administration, is the digital transformation and optimization of customs procedures. This will improve their efficiency and economic impact for businesses in Serbia, citizens, and EU exporters alike."
ITMS software is expected to be developed over the next two years.
IT equipment is donated under the "Public Finance Management (PFM) Facility" project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Finance (CEF) and the Ministry of Finance of Slovakia.