January 2007–January 2009

Printer friendly

DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES:
When measured against the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) indicators, Jordan scores below the median for lower-middle income countries in trade policy. Jordan’s trade policy score reflects the excessive bureaucratic hurdles and frequent delays importers and exporters face at the border. These are a result, in part, of the limited communication capabilities between government agencies deployed at the border. As traders progress from one government agency representative to the next seeking signatures and submitting documentation, they face a series of delays resulting from manual processing of applications, unclear policies and procedures, or limited information sharing between agencies.

To initiate change, USAID engaged ARD to oversee a new project, the Customs Administration Modernization Program under the SEGIR-CLIR IQC, which will assist Jordan in improving its trade policy. ARD will work with the Jordan Customs Department to implement a streamlined single-window facility, upgrade information technology (IT) infrastructure, strengthen the capacity of Jordan Customs (JC) officials, and improve relations with the private sector through a communications campaign.

APPROACH:
More than just modernizing customs systems, ARD’s approach to the USAID-funded Jordan Customs Administration Modernization Program blends knowledge of the latest developments in customs best practices with a collaborative management style. ARD has expertise in dealing with the complexities of institutional reform in Jordan and will address the needs of a range of stakeholders, including Government of Jordan (GOJ) agencies, other donor programs, and the private sector.