The latest move of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in its service improvement to enhance the present Certificate of Origin system to a fully secured online eCO was launched on Monday July 9, 2007. Electronic issuance of Certificates of Origin (e-CO) allows Exporters to apply electronically directly from their PCs via the Internet. This system saves time & costs, reduce paperwork and human error and eliminate delays to the users. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce initiates the issuance of Certificates of Origin in two Phases.

In the first Phase launched on 9th July, 2007
The Exporters submit their e-CO via a secured e-mail system and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) prints the copies in the number required and register the document as usual, complete with stamps and signatures. This system allows Exporters to forward their documents to the Chamber any time during the day and collect the registered documents at a time convenient to them, without the hassle of waiting.

The Chamber continues to offer the standard service as well as the eCOs and will be ready to move towards paperless Certificates of Origin, which is the second Phase of the CCC e-CO project, by the beginning of 2008.

With the development of the second Phase
The Exporters will be able to apply for a Certificate of Origin online and the Chamber will be able to check, approve and stamp the Certificate of origin electronically and return direct to the Exporter online, who then will print it out at their own Office.

Developments are also expected to reach the level in which the Certificate of Origin could be directly forwarded online to the Banks and even beyond that to the importing Country’s Customs point, in fast tracking international trade.

This development by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is supported by the SAARC and Trade Promotion Projects, which is implemented jointly by CCC and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).