OTTAWA,
ON, April 19, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Canada
Border Services Agency (CBSA) provided an update on its plans for
the launch of the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)
digital initiative, which will modernize the collection of duties
and taxes for goods imported into Canada.
CARM will launch internally at the CBSA on May 13, as planned, to advance the Agency's
compliance and enforcement efforts. However, as a result
of strike vote activity now underway by the Public Service
Alliance of Canada and the
possible impact on the Agency's operations in the event of a
positive strike vote, it is the intention of the CBSA to reschedule
the launch for trade chain partners to October 2024. This will ensure that the Agency
can support partners as they start using CARM. Therefore, until the
fall, trade chain partners will continue to operate as they
have.
CARM is ready to roll out. However, the support of CBSA
employees is critical to the successful implementation of CARM. By
rescheduling its launch, the Agency is setting industry partners up
for success. Given the links between CARM and other business
mainframe systems in the CBSA and Canada Revenue Agency, the next
scheduled window to migrate major IT changes is October
2024.
The CBSA held approximately 100 consultation and technical
working group sessions, over 160 direct engagement events, and has
completed multiple cycles of testing, including over 10 months of
simulation with direct participation by CBSA employees and
industry. Industry has worked to be ready with approximately 71,500
importers now registered in CARM – these importers represent over
92 percent of the volume of goods imported.
In addition to protecting and growing $40
billion a year in revenue for Canadians, CARM will provide a
number of other benefits:
- Eliminate cumbersome and time-consuming paper-based
processes
- Provide better tools that will allow the CBSA to focus its
compliance and enforcement efforts on potential bad actors
- Improve functionality for importers through the ability to
enroll in commercial programs, submit accounting documents, and
receive notifications through their CARM Client Portal
account
The internal launch of CARM at the CBSA, starting on
May 13, will allow the Agency to
advance work towards the expected benefit of better compliance. The
CBSA will use CARM to identify errors and discrepancies in duties
and tax submissions, and begin to work with industry in these
areas. These efforts respond to a study by the Auditor General of
Canada, who had estimated that as
many as 20% of goods coming into Canada were misclassified, resulting in a
lesser amount of duty paid.
Associated link
- CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM)
Contact
For more information or to schedule an interview on CARM with a
CBSA representative, please contact Canada Border Services Agency
Media Relations at media@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.
For more information on the status of negotiations between
the Treasury Board of Canada (the
employer), and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (the bargaining agent), please
contact the Treasury Board Secretariat
media@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency