The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is to graduate from manual and
embrace an Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), which will see the
Bureau digitalizing all of its transactions in its border services.With this bold step, the Bureau will be effectively contributing to trade facilitation by among others, reducing waiting time for clients in borders and other strategic
positions.

The ASYCUDA is a system which is predominantly used by the Malawi
Revenue Authority (MRA), and now MBS and MRA intends to be using it as a
shared automated system when clearing imports.

Initially, when a clearing Argent comes with a consignment of imported goods at
the border, the MRA ASYCUDA system was able to clear the person but then was
supposed to physically take documents to MBS offices to be manually cleared as
well. The automated system will address all these delays.