PRESS RELEASE
Digital tools to facilitate trade, developed with the support of USAID Moldova, are useful for also humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Chisinau, March 16, 2022 – In the wake of the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, the individuals transiting the territory of the Republic of Moldova with humanitarian aid can do so using the e-Waybill – a customs procedure recently digitized with the support of USAID Moldova.
More and more volunteers in the region are getting involved in transporting humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The volunteers – individuals – transit the territory of the Republic of Moldova on their own cars to transport necessities from European countries (including Romania) to Ukraine. Humanitarian aid should reach its destination quickly and safely, but this must be done in compliance with legal provisions to prevent fraudulent transport of goods. To efficiently and correctly manage the flow of humanitarian goods, the authorities decided to apply the e-Waybill – a tool that was digitized last year with the support of USAID. The e-waybill ensures the conduct of effective customs supervision of goods and means of transport while in the territory of the Republic of Moldova under simplified transit procedures. The customs officers at the entry points promtly enter all the necessary data concerning the goods in transit and the means of transport into the information system, without having to fill in a paper document. In such a way, the information is immediately available to the customs officers at the exit points of the country, which enables the conduct of appropriate transit procedure and immediate reaction to any potential situation of risk or fraud.
The e-Waybill, developed with USAID support through the Moldova Structural Reform Program, has been launched by the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova on April 6, 2021. Since implementation, around 2,000 digital waybills have been registered monthly. The electronic version of this customs procedure has drastically reduced the processing time, and also allowed for more effective management of the transit of goods in the territory of the Republic of Moldova, including through reduced physical contact between the representatives of the Customs Service and the business environment, which ultimately contributes to enhancing transparency and reducing corruption.
Contact information:
Slavian Guțu, Strategic Communications Manager
USAID Moldova Structural Reform Program
M: +373 60 502 811 | T: +373 22 837 414