•a. The statistical declaration shall be one of the forms covered by the approved automated unified customs declaration comprising several declarations (i.e. import, export, re-export, temporary exportation, free zones and transit).
•b. Boxes in the unified customs declaration to be used for statistical purposes shall be marked either with a certain color or by coloring the printing font of the declaration.
•c. The member States that do not have an automated customs system shall continue to manually complete the customs declaration for statistical purposes until the operation of their automated system is completed.
•d. Application of the unified customs declaration for statistical purposes shall commence with the implementation of the GCC customs union.
The Supreme Council in its 23rd Session had instructed the competent ministerial committees to double their efforts in following up the implementation of the Customs Union during 2003 in order to ensure good progress of operation, to reduce the approved transitional periods and to facilitate the flow of goods among the GCC States and remove the customs and non-customs barriers that restrict the movement of trade among them.
Allocation mechanism of funds collected as customs revenues among the members States in the GCC member States
The GCC Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee decided in its 60th meeting, held in Doha – Qatar - on Rabi` Al-Awwal 5, 1424 A.H/June 5, 2003 A.C. approval of the mechanism of allocating funds collected as customs revenues among the GCC member States (clearance mechanism) according to the following formula:
1. The Customs administration in each Member State shall deposit customs revenues collected from the first of January, 2003 A.C., in the Ministry of Finance account assigned for this purpose, in monetary agency or central bank in respective state.
2.2. The Ministry of Finance in each Member State shall open a clearing account in the monetary agency or central bank in respective state.
3.3. The customs administration in the state of first entry port shall conduct a preliminary register of each Member State's quotas in whole or partial consignments, in addition to customs duties collected on them; these shall be compared to the data provided by the final destination country later.
4.4. In order to facilitate the clearing process amongst the Member States, the following procedures shall be conducted:
◦a. All member States shall apply the Unified Customs Declaration agreed upon within the framework of the GCC for customs and statistical purposes, in completion of the customs procedures imposed on goods imported to the GCC countries.
◦b. Copy of both the Unified Customs Declaration of customs purposes related to transit of complete consignments, and the Unified Customs Declaration of statistical purposes related to transit of split consignments, shall be sealed, as per form annexed hereto (Annex (1)) which includes data on cargo, value, and customs duties collected, for the purpose of clearing process according to the following mechanism regarding usage of the clearing seal:
◾b/1. In case cargo source is the first import point:
◾a. Complete consignments: Copy of the Unified Customs Declaration of customs purposes shall be sealed at the back by the first import point.
◾b. Partial consignments: Copy of the Unified Customs Declaration of statistical purposes shall be sealed at the back by the first import point.
◾b/2. In case that cargo source is local markets: The Unified Customs Declaration of statistical purposes shall be sealed at the back, by the export point or by the nearest customs port according to the procedures applicable in respective state.
◾b/3.To facilitate Clearing purposes: Member States shall adhere to filling in the Unified Customs Declaration of customs purposes with needed data, as well as the Unified Customs Declaration of statistical purposes, especially data related to cargo value, type and number, and collected customs duties.
◦c. Customs Intra-points through which cargo must pass to its final destination shall be provided with a copy of the Unified Customs Declaration of customs purposes or the Unified Customs Declaration of statistical purposes sealed by the first import point, provided that original sealed declaration shall be submitted to the final destination customs port as a document whereby customs duties shall be payable.
5.The customs administration of the final destination country shall collect data needed to identify its quota in customs duties collected by the first import point, as per the Unified Customs Declaration of the customs or statistical purposes.
6. Data shall be collected every 3 (three) months by the final destination customs administration, which data shall clarify funds due to the final destination country on Member States through which (first import point) goods passed to final destination, and shall be annexed with copies of the Unified Customs Declarations of customs and statistical purposes and copies of data sealed, as per paragraph (4/b) above.
7. Member States shall conduct necessary review to complete clearing process needed for customs revenue allocation amongst them on bilateral basis prior to meetings of the Clearing Committee, provided that the findings bilaterally concluded regarding each country's quota and suspended amounts.
8.The Clearing Committee shall be composed of representatives for the Ministry of Finance, Customs Administrations, any third party upon discretion of Member State, and the Secretariat General, and it shall meet every three months to make appropriate decisions on determining the funds due to each state (as a final destination state) on other Member States (first import point country). The first meeting of the committee shall be in the period 5 - 8 July 2003 A.C., for the purpose of identifying each country's dividend for the first five months of commencement of the GCC Customs Federation. Then, the committee shall meet every three year for the same purpose.
9.Member States shall fill in the form of "Accruals Clearing Statement" (Annex (2)), or any other form for the same purpose, and submit the same to the Secretariat General at least one month prior to the next meeting of the Clearing Committee, to be generalized to Member States. Should any Member State have any comments, it shall directly contact relevant state or states prior to the meeting.
10.The Secretariat General shall pass findings concluded to by the Clearing Committee to Member States, for the Ministries of Finance to issue necessary instructions to the monetary agency or central bank in respective Member State to conduct necessary settlements with correspondent central banks or monetary agencies of the other Member States. Fund transfer procedures shall be conducted in no later than the first work day in the second half of next month after the meeting of the Clearing Committee, provided that transfer shall be in currency of State transferred to and current exchange rate on day of transfer.
11. In case that the Clearing Committee fails to reach an agreement regarding any claim, such claim shall be referred to the Execution and Follow up Committee (the Customs Federation Committee) for reconsideration, and if not settled yet, the same shall be submitted to the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee.
12.Clearing processes amongst Member States shall be conducted using Calendar months.
Indeed, Allah is the Granter of success.