Carola Ríos, national director of Senae: Modernization of Ecuapass could take 18 to 24 months; there are resources for $3.6 million

Ecapass, as well as other customs services, have presented interruptions in recent months due to lack of maintenance in other administrations.

Between February and March, several customs systems of theNational Customs Service (Senae)They presented interruptions, especially Ecapass, the Ecuadorian customs system that allows foreign trade operators to carry out all customs import and export operations.Carola Ríos, National Director of Senae, the reasons for these intermittences, as well as the actions and costs that this system has, which records an average of 3,200 daily transactions, tells Diario El Universo.

The Senae is constantly updating its services; However, in recent weeks they have had fall problems. How are these services currently?

The theme basically refers to the Transactional Customs System, which is called Ecuapass. This system, as we have said several times, fulfilled its useful life, has more than ten years of operation; And both the equipment, all the infrastructure, (as)software, which is the one that does the entire operation, they have to be intervened. So, since we took the administration, we started a plan to be able to modernize both the infrastructure as thesoftware. We are executing the plan.

We had a fortuitous incident in the middle of our execution, and that forced us to accelerate the process with the declaration of the technological emergency and the achievement, of course, of the resources that the Government was very clear as long as it had to deliver. Then, deliveries of these values ​​are already being delivered, and with that we are in the execution of the plan.

How much are these resources and at what stage does the process go?

In the first stage they already made a first outlay of $ 1′500,000. We have a second stage, which are $ 2 million more. They are $ 3′600,000 that will be in the period; With that we will be able to make the system stabilization and start the modernization process; We will protect the information as appropriate; And we would start from September, October, an already stage of modernization of thesoftware. Then, the first stage, stabilize physical infrastructure; and then we would start with the modernization of the system.

How much will this process take?

That can take between 18 and 24 months. Modernize asoftware, bringing it to modernity, is not one thing for one day; It is a process of programming, knowledge of architecture, etc.

Are national or international suppliers who are working on this process?

At this time we are doing an evaluation of the options; We are working to see what is the best option: if we do it at the level of suppliers ofsoftwarepackaging or improvements of the current system. That is under evaluation. So, I still couldn't tell him what is decided.

For this will a tender be made?

There has to be a tender for that, it is.

How many exporters do Ecuapass serve?

To all. We have a number of 3,200 daily transactions. There is a record of more than 11,000 importers and exporters. Then, all importers, all exporters, all foreign trade operators make their transactions through this system; This is what allows us to make imports of imports and exports, load mobilizations, etc., and all accompaniment documents. Here we also have the services that we provide to other government entities that issue certifications, which issue documents that accompany both imports and exports.

While this process develops, will there be more system falls?

That is precisely what we are trying to prevent. While there are continuity plans of the service, we are dealing with this intervention that we are doing in infrastructure to guarantee the stability of the system, prevent this type of events that put the activity at risk (…). What we are doing is that trade does not stop; That is what we want, that we do not have to use these continuity plans, but rather that the service is permanently.

How long has this Ecuapass system been used by Customs?

Eleven years.

And how much is recommended for a system used in a customs?

When the system was acquired, what had to be done were permanent maintenance, permanent updates. What we have done as customs are maintenance, but they are very basic.

Didn't those maintenance be done before, in the previous administrations?

No, unfortunately not. Unfortunately the system continued to operate. Improvements were made in internal programming, but with limited resources and with current results.