VZCZCXRO9566
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK
RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHPW
RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTA #1428/01 2361040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241040Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASTANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6083
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE 1863
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1231
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1933
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0892
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2435
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2751
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFAAA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1418
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 1315
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ALMATY 1819

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 001428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON SOCI KZ
SUBJECT:  KAZAKHSTAN STEPS CLOSER TO SUPPORT FOR A SINGLE-WINDOW FOR 
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS 
 
ASTANA 00001428  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Since 2007, the USAID Regional Trade Liberalization 
and Customs Project, in cooperation with the German International 
Development Agency (GTZ), has encouraged the Governments of 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to implement electronic 
single-window systems to simplify the processes of obtaining the 
necessary certificates, licenses, quotas, permissions, and other 
documents required to import and export goods through Customs.  On 
August 11, Kazakhstan, through its Vice-Chairman of the Customs 
Control Committee, announced its intention to implement the 
single-window system at a major conference on transportation and 
trade facilitation.  Experiences from other countries with 
single-window systems demonstrate that considerable savings in time 
and financial cost can be achieved through the establishment of 
single-windows.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BUILDING SUPPORT THROUGH EDUCATION 
 
¶2.  USAID and the German International Development Agency (GTZ) have 
worked closely to promote the implementation of the single-window 
system in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.  USAID and GTZ 
built support for the single-window through presentations by 
commercial providers of single-window systems and conferences that 
presented the concept to both government officials and the private 
sector.  USAID and GTZ organized study tours for Kazakhstani 
officials to Hamburg, Brussels, and Amsterdam in 2008, to Senegal in 
November 2008, and to the World Customs Organization (WCO) 
Conference on Single-Window and Trade Facilitation in Morocco in 
April 2009. 
 
¶3.  These study tours attracted senior government officials, 
including Customs Control Committee Chairman Kozy-Korpesh Karbuzov, 
who attended the World Customs Organization (WCO) Morocco conference 
this year, as well as the Committee's deputy chairman, who 
participated in a separate study tour to Sweden.  These officials 
acknowledged that their understanding of the concept and the 
alternative ways of implementing single-window systems was greatly 
influenced by the various events sponsored by USAID and GTZ. 
 
¶4.  During a conference organized by the Organization for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Ministry of Transport and 
Communications regarding transportation and trade facilitation, the 
Deputy Chairman of Customs Control Committee, Serzhan Duissebayev, 
announced Kazakhstan's intention to implement a single-window system 
for the import and export of goods in Kazakhstan.  Based on various 
factors, including the experiences gained from the professional 
study tours, according to Duissebayev, Kazakhstan will adopt a model 
that is derived from the experiences of Sweden and Singapore. 
 
¶5.  While the Government has not determined which agency will 
oversee and implement the single-window, the Customs Control 
Committee, based upon instructions from the Office of the Prime 
Minister, appears to be the leading candidate.  Instructions from 
the Prime Minster to the Ministry of Finance and the Customs Control 
Committee called for the establishment of a working group, to 
include all relevant agencies.  This working group is to be chaired 
by the Customs Control Committee, and will analyze the potential for 
integration of information systems of the relevant government 
agencies with the information system of the Operative Management 
Center of the Customs Control Committee, which will lead to the 
introduction of the electronic single-window for customs 
registration and control. 
 
COMMITTING TO SINGLE-WINDOW - A BEGINNING 
 
¶6.  Kazakhstan's announcement that customs officials are ready to 
develop the single-window system will require modification of the 
Customs Modernization Project (CMP), currently underway with support 
from the World Bank.  This process will lead directly to a detailed 
planning effort by the Government of Kazakhstan that will bring the 
single-window on-line.  USAID will continue to provide key technical 
assistance to the Customs Control Committee on single-window through 
the CMP, including project management training, assistance in 
negotiating and entering contracts with commercial providers of 
 
ASTANA 00001428  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
single-window systems, and expertise on specific issues at the 
request of the Customs Control Committee. 
 
HOAGLAND