Iraqi Customs announces Kurdistan Region’s joining the “ASYCUDA” project
Iraqi Customs announces Kurdistan Region’s joining the “ASYCUDA” project
2026-04-08
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Director of the Iraqi Customs Authority, Thamer Qasim Dawood, announced on Wednesday that the Kurdistan Region team has joined the national team for the project to implement the Customs Automation System (ASYCUDA), in a move he considered to reflect the seriousness of the move towards building a unified customs administration at the level of Iraq.
This came during the expanded technical meeting held under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister of Finance, Taif Sami, to discuss the draft agreement for the implementation of the Customs Automation System (ASYCUDA) in the Kurdistan Region, in implementation of the directives of the Ministerial Council for Economy in its session held on April 6, 2026.
According to a statement from the Customs Authority received by Shafaq News Agency, the meeting was attended by a number of technical and administrative leaders from both the federal and regional sides, in addition to a team of experts from the UNCTAD international organization, where mechanisms for implementing the system were discussed in a way that achieves technical and procedural integration between customs outlets throughout Iraq.
During the meeting, the Minister of Finance stressed the importance of addressing legal conflicts between the two sides and harmonizing relevant legislation to ensure the proper implementation of the ASYCUDA system and obtaining the necessary official approvals, as well as accurately defining the powers and responsibilities of each party.
The minister directed that a Kurdish language interface be adopted within the system, in addition to Arabic and English, and that a comprehensive training program be launched under the supervision of the national team to qualify the staff working in the region, in order to enhance the unification of customs administration standards at the national level.
For his part, the Director of the Customs Authority, Thamer Qasim Dawood, said that “the ASYCUDA project and the unification of procedures between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region represent an advanced strategic step towards building a modern and integrated customs system at the level of Iraq.”
Daoud added that the authority is working to harmonize technical and legal systems and procedures to ensure institutional integration among all customs ports in the country.
He pointed out that unifying the systems effectively contributes to boosting non-oil revenues, reducing smuggling operations, as well as raising the efficiency of institutional performance and developing the customs work environment in accordance with modern standards.
He stressed that the Kurdistan Region team joining the national team for the ASYCUDA system reflects the seriousness of the move towards building a unified customs administration that adopts the best international practices, noting that the next stage will witness an acceleration of the pace of implementation and completion of the necessary technical requirements.
Daoud explained that the authority is working in parallel to launch specialized training programs aimed at raising the efficiency of the working staff in line with the requirements of digital transformation in the customs sector.
He pointed out that the Authority is continuing to support digital transformation projects because of their role in enhancing transparency and achieving high efficiency in trade, stressing that the customs automation project represents a fundamental pillar for supporting the national economy and consolidating the principles of good governance in customs work.
shafaq.com
