The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) was due to launch version 4.3.3 of the online Automated System for Customs Data (Asycuda) on June 21, in an effort to modernise the platform and make the customs clearance process more convenient, fast and efficient, as well as to promote trade facilitation.

Offering sophisticated customisation options, the new version will further enhance the effectiveness of trade facilitation practices, in conformity with government policy, the GDCE said in a June 17 letter.

Path Chamnan, founder and CEO of local e-commerce platform operator Super App Technology Plc, which specialises in the transport and technology markets, told The Post on June 20 that the government is evolving to keep pace with trends in technological advancements.

Offering an example, he cited updates in bureaucratic procedures in all spheres of national and international trade, geared towards bolstering the Kingdom’s export-import capacity and competitiveness on international markets.

While unable to produce specific metrics or examples, Chamnan nonetheless expressed his belief that the new version of Asycuda would “make the customs clearance process more efficient, faster and hassle-free”.

And the simpler procedures will drive down product prices and cut delivery times shorter, he said.

GDCE revenue collection plummeted 15.2 per cent year-on-year to $614.8 million in the first quarter of this year, as revealed by the minutes of its first quarterly meeting held via video link.

Last year, the customs agency collected $2.419 billion in revenue, down from $3.200 billion in 2019.