A passage to Passar
Duano and K & S Informatik now collaborate in Switzerland. The Swiss customs authorities are getting serious about the changeover to the new Passar system this year, which is compulsory for importers and exporters. Christian Doepgen spoke to Duano’s Philipp Muster and K & S Informatik’s Rainer Stawarz about it.
A major re-boot such as this one is rare. The changeover by the Swiss customs authorities to the Passar system, which is replacing the NCTS, is about to begin with a first ‘big bang’ – the launch of the system in the transit sector on 1 October.
Philipp Muster of Duano and Rainer Stawarz of K & S Informatik joined forces on 1 May this year. The need for advice, services and new IT tools for Passar will be great in the light of this major implementation phase in Switzer-
land, which will last until 2025.
IT is only one issue. “There’s a new philosophy behind the new electronic customs procedure too – and any software is always only as good as its legal basis,” Stawarz explained. This is where Philipp Muster, Duano’s new chief systems officer, brings experience into play. He draws the appropriate comparison. “Even Microsoft Word would only be worth half it’s value without its spell-checker.” This is why the service offered by the two partners includes a complete analysis of a company’s internal customs processes.
Muster said that “we optimise export and import processes, including digital options and legal authorisation, and then we develop and set up the new IT tools required in each case.”
For the transition to Passar to succeed, there are many steps to take. IT implementation can be swift, as Stawarz explains. “One customer was surprised that activation was completed in days.” Authorisation with the customs authorities, on the other hand, runs separately and takes a bit longer.
Two thirds of the 150 firms K & S serves in Switzerland are affected by the changeover. However, the overall dimension is far greater. Between 700 and 800 companies in Switzerland will change over immediately, but about another 5,000 importing and exporting companies and about 20,000 document receivers will follow closely behind. There remains a lot to do in the immediate future.Christian Doepgen