Ukraine's State Customs Service announces switch over to NCTS Phase 5 on Dec 1
MOSCOW. Nov 21 (Interfax) - Ukraine will begin using the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) Phase 5 from December 1, 2023, Ukrainian media outlets said, citing information circulated by the State Customs Service on social media.
"Ukraine continues to prove that it is able to fulfill the obligations undertaken when it joined the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure: we plan to switch to NCTS Phase 5 from December 1, 2023," State Customs Service deputy head Vladislav Suvorov was quoted by the service as saying.
The State Customs Service said on August 17 of this year that the transition to NCTS Phase 5 had been postponed by two months, until November 1, to give businesses more time to prepare for working with the new system and for the new requirements for filling out transit declarations.
The transition to NCTS Phase 6 is scheduled to take place in June 2025, the service said then.
The new system is currently being tested with brokerage software developers, National Coordinator for Common Transit Alina Brendak said.
NCRS Phase 5 will interact with companies through brokerage software, while the existing Trader's Portal will no longer be used, Brendak said.
NSTC Phase 5 will allow companies to submit more detailed information about goods at the House Consignment level, which is relevant to consolidated shipping, the State Customs Service said.
The State Customs Service will draw up new guidelines for companies on how to add information to transit declarations given the specifics of NCTS Phase 5, it said. At the same time, all common transit rules and principles and simplified transit procedures remain relevant and in effect.
The State Customs Service is also considering providing businesses with an alternative tool for filling out and submitting transit declarations and for interaction with the national electronic transit system of NCTS Phase 5 - IT solutions similar to the existing Trader's Portal, it said.
As reported, Ukraine's State Customs Service in January 2023 published software update specifications for developers of brokerage software (bit.ly/3NwC9pk). In August 2023, national software developers were granted access to API to test message exchanges with NCTS Phase 5. The State Customs Service also said that it was actively interacting with the relevant teams to ensure that brokerage IT solutions are ready.
NCTS is one of the 17 customs IT systems Ukraine will have to introduce before being admitted to the European Union. So far, it is the only system that Ukraine has joined. The introduction of an IT system involves not only its installation but also its synchronized development with other member countries of the Common Transit Convention.