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Showing posts with label Customs and Excise Act. Show all posts

Dubai Customs Introduces Blockchain Platform to Streamline Commerce

 

Dubai Customs has recently unveiled a new blockchain platform aimed at streamlining commercial activities in the region, reinforcing its status as a technology-forward market. This initiative seeks to address and overcome obstacles hindering entrepreneurship in Dubai by leveraging blockchain technology to enhance transparency and facilitate secure data sharing. 

The newly introduced platform promises to offer secure and cost-effective solutions along with technology-driven logistics initiatives. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai’s Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation, described the platform as a significant advancement in improving business and commercial operations in Dubai. “We are confident that the adoption of modern technologies such as blockchain will greatly contribute to enhancing the business environment and solidifying Dubai’s position as a key global trade hub,” Sulayem stated. 

Blockchain technology, or distributed ledger technology, distributes data across multiple nodes, thus avoiding centralization on a single server as seen in traditional systems. This feature significantly enhances security by making it difficult for malicious actors to infiltrate the network. Additionally, any information stored on blockchain networks is immutable, promoting transparency in business operations. 

Dubai officials are also keen on utilizing other blockchain features such as live tracking of goods and preventing fraud and counterfeiting. This is not the first time Dubai has explored blockchain technology. In May, a plan was revealed to position the region as one of the top ten economies proficient in metaverse technology. In a previous effort, Dubai collaborated with the Solana Foundation to establish a blockchain framework for its free economic zone, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), in October 2023. This collaboration aimed to assist businesses in expanding their operations by leveraging blockchain technology. 

The new platform by Dubai Customs is expected to revolutionize the way businesses operate in the region, providing a more secure, transparent, and efficient environment for commercial activities. As Dubai continues to integrate cutting-edge technologies, it strengthens its position as a leading global trade hub and a beacon of innovation in the Middle East.

New Laws in NZ Give Rise To Invasion Of Privacy



As indicated by new custom rules that became effective on Monday, travellers who decline to surrender their passwords, codes, encryption keys and other data empowering access to electronic devices could be fined up to $5,000 in New Zealand.

The new rules are the consequences of the updated Customs and Excise Act 2018 law, which was brought into effect on Monday, set out new rules for officers who direct the  'Digital strip-searches' and determines that access to personal technology must be given over also.


The Civil rights advocates are particularly outraged at the sudden change, saying that it was a grave breach of security and did little to protect the boarders.

Customs Spokesperson Terry Brown when approached with respect to the matter said that while it might appear to be obtrusive, the new law gives a 'delicate balance' between somebody's rights and the law. As it is a document by-record search on the travellers’ phone, they aren't going into 'the cloud' and just analysing the phone while it's on flight mode.

Mr Brown added further that officers would just request that somebody give their own passwords in the event that they trust they have a reason to presume a wrongdoing.

Then again, Thomas Beagle the Council for Civil Liberties spokesperson, says -

 “The law is an unjustified invasion of privacy because customs don't have to provide a reason for the search. They don't have to tell you what the cause of that suspicion is, there's no way to challenge it. Any 'serious criminal' wouldn't store incriminating information on their digital devices - they would rather store it online, where customs can't access.”

All things considered, in a news release, the New Zealand Customs Service said the law would help outskirt consistence and bolster the national economy. It guaranteed the public that it would "rarely notice much difference at the border, with existing provisions reconfirmed or clarified."