Zambia Advances Customs System Upgrade to Improve Trade Processing
The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has outlined the next steps in its transition from ASYCUDA World to ASY5, including system assessments, pilot testing and customs officer training. The implementation activities, detailed by the authority on October 19, form part of a customs modernization project agreed with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in December 2025.
The project is supported by a $650,000 grant from the British High Commission through TradeMark Africa. The agreement, signed on December 15, 2025, provides for technical assistance to modernize Zambia’s customs management infrastructure, with the aim of improving system reliability, trade processing and transparency.
ZRA Commissioner of Customs Services Ernest Sigande, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner General, said the upgrade would strengthen digitalization and automation in customs operations. UNCTAD’s regional coordinator for East and Southern Africa, Khauhelo Mawana, said pilot testing would help identify gaps before wider implementation. Project manager Christian Nizeyimana also outlined plans to train customs officers on the new system.
Customs Revenue Rises as Trade Processing Expands
The modernization comes amid rising customs collections and transaction volumes. According to ZRA’s 2025 annual report, customs revenue increased by 12.1% to K50.2 billion in 2025, from K44.8 billion the previous year. The authority processed approximately 1.35 million customs entries, compared with 1.19 million in 2024.
Zambia has also recorded improvements in trade facilitation. The United Nations Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation put the country’s implementation score at 77.42% in 2025, up from 62.37% in 2023.
The survey found that Zambia had fully implemented automated customs processing and electronic submission of customs declarations, although some other paperless and cross-border trade measures remained only partially implemented.
The transition to ASY5 is intended to build on this existing digital infrastructure. However, the authority has not specified a completion date or confirmed when the upgraded platform will become fully operational.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article or report do not necessarily reflect those of TradeMark Africa (TMA).
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