Newsletter - October2019

Centrolene
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Page: 5
waiver for individual types of licences, which potentially adds complexity and
makes entry completion more difficult in practice.
“Furthermore, despite initial assurances from HMRC to the contrary, it is clear
that the new system will require more significant changes to commercial
software systems than previously envisaged. To give a simple example, a
declaration on the current system –Customs Handling of Import and Export
Freight (CHIEF) – requires the completion of 59 data fields. A declaration on
the replacement system – Customs Declaration System (CDS) – will consist of
78 data fields for import and 65 for export declarations.”
The development of the new system includes many stakeholders – HMRC,
IBM, community systems providers (CSPs), numerous software providers and
representatives.
Keen noted that some of the CSPs and software providers have already
highlighted the difficulties faced in developing the new system, the distinct
lack of clarity regarding some of the data elements and the incomplete nature
of some of the development work. For BIFA, there is a clear indication that the
IT sector has concerns regarding the programme and the suggested
timeframes.
He said: “HMRC has recently announced its proposed plan for completing
delivery of the new Customs Declaration System and migrating traders to the
new platform, which requires all traders to migrate from CHIEF to CDS by
September 2020 in order for HMRC to meet its requirement to turn off CHIEF
in March 2021 when the current contract ends.
“We have heard from CSPs and other software developers, and HMRC itself,
that this timeline is challenging and understand that HMRC has requested
software developers and CSPs to expedite their plans to deliver and assure the
necessary changes to IT systems and business processes without