Post-Brexit freight software is unlikely to be ready on time, according to Association of Freight Software Suppliers
The Association of Freight Software Suppliers (AFSS) has formally told HMRC that "most of its members" cannot get their software ready on time for 1st January (source: BBC News Brexit, 27th October 2020).
The Association of Freight Software Suppliers (AFSS) said its members could not guarantee delivery because officials had failed to give it details and direction for the project. But the government insisted the work was still "on track" for 1 January.
The AFSS said "late delivery and gaps of detailed information" were the cause. And it warned that even if members could build a "minimum viable product" in time, it was "unrealistic" to expect firms to be fully trained on it by the year's end.
The root of the problem is that HMRC has introduced a new system, called the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). Unlike the older system, it can handle two sets of tariffs for the UK and EU at once. That makes it potentially very useful for handling trade to and from Northern Ireland in particular.
The key issue is that while the CDS system is ready, some of the software that traders need to submit their records to it is not.
The AFSS explained the problem was that some functions could not be designed until it was known exactly what they needed to do, and that could not happen until trade negotiations ended.
However, the association's chairman Stephen Bartlett said he "can't fault" the HMRC for the problem. "When we ask how some of the systems are going to work, we're told, 'We can't talk about it'," he explained. "From where I sit, they're trying to implement government policy... I know they're working really hard."
Contingency plans...
In a statement, HMRC said it was "continuing to engage extensively with the software developer community and community system providers to ensure that they have everything they need to develop their products". The plans include a support service to file customs declarations on behalf of traders, so they will not have to do it directly themselves. HMRC also said it had contingency plans in place to keep goods flowing.
Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Brandon Lewis will meet with major UK retailers today to discuss the urgent problem...
However, the association's chairman Stephen Bartlett said he "can't fault" the HMRC for the problem. "When we ask how some of the systems are going to work, we're told, 'We can't talk about it'," he explained. "From where I sit, they're trying to implement government policy... I know they're working really hard."
Contingency plans...
In a statement, HMRC said it was "continuing to engage extensively with the software developer community and community system providers to ensure that they have everything they need to develop their products". The plans include a support service to file customs declarations on behalf of traders, so they will not have to do it directly themselves. HMRC also said it had contingency plans in place to keep goods flowing.
Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Brandon Lewis will meet with major UK retailers today to discuss the urgent problem...