Qatar stands to gain from using the ATA Carnet System, which government officials are expected to implement by December 2017, an official from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said.
At a workshop organised by Qatar Chamber on Tuesday, ICC Asia executive director Lee Ju Song spoke on the advantages of implementing the ATA Carnet System, which, she said, will help make Qatar attractive to foreign investments and various sports events and exhibitions.
The ATA Carnet is an international customs document, issued by an authorised chamber of commerce, to facilitate the temporary import or export of goods without the need for raising bonds, duty, tax, and customs formalities in one or a number of participating countries.
The items covered by the ATA Carnet include commercial samples and advertising film, goods for international exhibitions, and professional equipment like press and broadcasting equipment, cinematographic/musical equipment, surgical equipment, educational equipment; and costumes, scenery, and other stage properties.
Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, the director of the Legal Affairs Department at Qatar Chamber, said that implementing the ATA Carnet System will help promote Qatar as a global investment destination.



ICC Asia executive director Lee Ju Song. 

It will also open trade horizons through facilitating customs procedures for goods and equipment during participation in exhibitions, conferences, and seminars inside and outside the country, he said. 
Once implemented, Qatar strives to become the 78th country to use the ATA Carnet System, al-Kuwari told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the workshop, which saw the participation of employees from Qatar Chamber and the General Authority of Customs. 
Al-Kuwari, who is also the chairman of the committee on the provisional admission system for goods, noted that the workshop provides an overview of the system, how it is applied, and a number of procedures and mechanisms relating to the entry and exit of goods under this system.
The workshop, he said, comes within the framework of continuous cooperation between the Chamber and the General Authority of Customs to keep pace with the international developments in all economic fields, facilitate the practice of business activities for the business community, and open up to international markets.
Al-Kuwari said the chamber “has taken many steps” since it was invited to be the “national guarantor” for the Istanbul Convention on Temporary Admission, which requires a national guarantor for customs duties and rights if goods temporarily imported are not returned.
He said facilitating the entry and movement of goods between countries and facilitating customs procedures “is an important and essential means” for supporting export and import processes and traders. 
Song emphasised that implementing the ATA Carnet System “sends a strong message to the business community that Qatar is ready to host business thanks to the facilitative advantages it offers.”
She said Qatar has become “one of the most important commercial centres in the region,” and implementing the system will enhance its readiness to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, “and will elevate the country to another level of achievement.”
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