BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 29. Turkmenistan is combining technology upgrades with skills training to modernize its trade and customs systems, a source from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) told Trend.
"UNCTAD is working with Turkmenistan’s customs and border agencies on practical capacity building: risk-based controls, product classification and valuation, e-documents and paperless clearance, and clear operating manuals and service standards," the source said.
Per the organization’s directive, this initiative encompasses
enhancing inter-agency synergies at the border and harmonizing
regulatory frameworks with international best practices to expedite
trade processes, augment predictability, and elevate transparency.
An integral component of this initiative is ASYCUDA, the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development's comprehensive customs
automation framework, designed to enhance the efficiency of
cross-border trade management through expedited processes,
increased transparency, and cost reduction.
"In August 2025, we initiated the third phase of Turkmenistan’s
national customs modernization initiative—integrating cutting-edge
ASYCUDA solutions with comprehensive capacity-building for local
teams to autonomously manage and enhance the system. The outcome
will yield expedited clearance processes, diminished expenditures,
and enhanced transparency for market participants, concurrently
positioning the nation for World Trade Organization accession and
amplifying its function as a pivotal regional transit nexus," the
source elaborated.