Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine should take into account the business requirements on acceptance of electronic waybill as one of TOP-10 business requirements to government determined by the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs
This was the topic of the Round table “Electronic waybill: why is it still “above the law” in Ukraine and how its acceptance will influence logistics companies and retail market?” which took place in Kyiv city on May 30, 2018
The representatives of such companies as: “Ukraposhta”. “Nova Poshta”, “Delivery” DB Schenker, Zammler Group, Sovtes LTD, Denka Logistics, «Intertop Ukraine», «Kernel», “Wine Bureau”, “Amadeo”, E-commerce Expert platform and online-service of documents flow “Vchasno”, and Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO) took part in this event. Some representatives of Reform Office of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine were also invited but nobody of them came.
Paper-free and electronic waybill establishment were included into TOP-10 business requirements to government represented by the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs on the ground of analysis of the main problems which block the business development.
At the event, the attention of public and media was drawn to the necessity of the prompt implementation of electronic waybill into cargo transportation process. According to Andrii Ivasiv, Head of Committee on Transport and Logistics Issues at the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Delivery company, the electronic form of waybill will free the members of cargo transportation market from financial charges and loss of time which connected with mistakes of manual data input and reissuance of this primary document in case of lost, damage or not return. The procedure for tracking of documents flow between the participants of cargo transportation process will become easier, as during few minutes after the cargo delivery and documents execution, all participants will receive the electronic waybill with electronic signature of all parties. As a result, the cost for use of electronic waybill will be by several times lower than for paper one.
Serhii Badritdinov, the Executive Director of “Intertop Ukraine”, Head of Committee on Retail Trade Issues at the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs noted: “The first ones, who we should think about, are our clients. In case of electronic waybill implementation they could receive their ordered goods by several times faster than now. Furthermore, we can talk a lot about necessary reforms in the country, can make plans and strategies, but there are some things which the government could change without serious consequences and in the shortest time – one just should give credence to the suggestions of Ukrainian business. Among them is acceptance of the electronic waybill”.
“As well as some time ago we withdrew from the rock painting and clay tablets, we should step outside of the paper. When all the world involved in global digitalization, in Ukraine we still execute raft of paper documents. It takes a lot of human and economic resources. Otherwise, crossing over to electronic document flow, the companies could provide services or ship goods faster, increase profitability and raise wages by dividing leftover funds between the employees of the company… The issue on electronic waybill implementation should not be considered as “to implement” or “not to implement”, the right presentation of an issue is “How should we implement?” It seems that some workers of “Ukrposhta” are still not ready to such innovations, but when they will be ready to this the legal framework should allow to execute electronic documents flow,” – emphasized Kostiantyn Karpenko, Director of Transport Logistics Department of PJSC “Ukrposhta”.
According to Oksana Ferchuk, Head of online-service of documents flow “Vchasno”, the electronic waybill is already legal document in Ukraine, it is just not used. “First, because the large volume of business depends on it and it is very difficult to change the process. Second, our way of thinking does not allow to refuse from the paper. But this situation should be changed and we see some steps to do it. First of all, one should alter the Order of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine for direct determination of the document text to achieve confidence of the accountants and total crossover of all industry. Then, one should approve standard of the electronic document and this could be done without the government participation. In the process of use of the document, we will need the unified form of the document which will be followed by all operators of electronic document flow. And then mass use of electronic waybill will start. In such way we will make one step to digitalization of Ukrainian business,” – stated Oksana Ferchuk.
Among all ex-USSR countries Georgia and Belarus have successful practices of electronic waybill implementation. For example, in the last one, the flow of electronic waybill is up to 120 million units and the potential savings from refusing from the paper form of this document is up to 600 million Euro per year. The participants of the round table agreed that the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine should assist in acceptance of electronic form of waybill for road transportation. As the electronic waybill is the issue not only about the easier way to do business or faster document flow, but this is about the image of our country in general. The world does not stand still, it is developed by implementation of new technologies and process, but we are beyond competition. It is time to change it!
