Businesses are still waiting for Customs to implement related customs clearance software. Plans to revolutionise customs processing with the Customs Automated Processing System (CAPS) system were announced in 1999.

The aim was to implement the system by September 2000 to improve service, reduce costs, and free up paperwork by allowing customs declarations to be done electronically through the Customs' department website.

Businesses were generally supportive of the idea which was expected to improve efficiency and yield cost savings.

But the implementation of the $3.5 million project faltered numerous times and Customs finally terminated its contract with the UK contractor Grosvenor International Systems.

IBM/Bermuda Computer Services won the new contract and Government promised the system would be implemented by the middle of this year, but so far this has not occurred.

The Collector of Customs was unable to comment on the status of CAPS yesterday and would only say that the Minister will make an announcement "in the not too distant future".