The Customs Department's tax revenue collection missed its target by 1.1% in the first month of fiscal 2020.
The tax-collecting agency in October gathered 52.1 billion baht, of which 8.7 billion was the Customs Department's revenue and the remainder was revenue the department collected on behalf of other state agencies, said department spokesman Chaiyut Khamkhun.
The shortfall is in line with the Fiscal Policy Office's (FPO) bleak forecast for an export contraction of 3.8% this year. The FPO also predicted outbound merchandise shipment growth will shrink 2.5% in 2019 before reversing course to a 2.6% rise next year.
In related news, around 9,000 operators have signed up for electronic data exchange through the Customs Department's electronic data connectivity system, he said. These operators have been delegated by over 100,000 exporters and importers, said Mr Chaiyut.
Around 10 million e-documents are pooled through the National Single Window (NSW) and Asean Single Window (ASW) systems.
The NSW allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents with a single entry point to comply with import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements. Under the single window system, information is digitally exchanged among governments and businesses for paperless customs formalities.
Brunei and Cambodia are connected to the ASW, bringing the total number of Asean members exchanging Certificate of Origin Form D electronically up to seven. Myanmar, Laos and the Philippines are expected to join later.
Data for import and export value of controlled goods worth 5.8 trillion baht, accounting for 40% of total trade in fiscal 2019, was electronically integrated under the government-to-government platform. The state is keen to offer e-permits for crop trade using the NSW system.