About
The PCS will perform various functions on behalf of the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA). Based on this approach, the JCA has designated the PCS as an Authorized Customs System pursuant to the Customs Act. With the integration of the JCA’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA World), the systems are expected to provide a complete and modern trade platform for Jamaica, thus enabling cargo transparency along the supply chain.
The PCS is expected to handle many functions on behalf of the JCA, allowing the agency to re-allocate resources to more important business functions.
For logistics related activities including manifests and transhipment, the PCS is the main communicative interface between stakeholders and Customs. It will also handle much of the message brokerage responsibilities, enabling transparency for Customs processing activities, including manifest, transhipment and declaration approvals as well as customs gatepass releases.
Benefits
Traditional transactions taking place with the JCA have been restricted to paper-based in-person activities, often slowed by untimely and insufficient access to systems and information. Given that the JCA is integrally involved in most industry processes, any internal inefficiencies would cause a ripple effect across the industry, slowing goods clearance and cargo movement activities. Whether from a risk management or a revenue collection perspective, JCA team members and their customers yearned the basic right to visibility, efficiency, productivity and mobility.
The PCS provides tools for electronic Customs-based interactions from the perspective of both Customs and their customers. As it is completely integrated with ASYCUDA World, it removes the problems traditionally associated with moving people and physically produced information across the physical gap between port community stakeholders and Customs. As both parties will now enjoy real-time access to greater amounts of information never traditionally provided, Customs processes should see a drastic improvement for all parties involved. A good example of this is in the digitizing of Customs Releases which truckers, for example, will no longer need to bear physically in order to transport a container from a Terminal. Terminal Security personnel can easily and quickly verify that information within the PCS.
