Newsroom
Import clearance at the Port of Limassol remains severely disrupted after a software failure knocked out the Customs Department's payment system, preventing goods from being released.
The technical fault was first identified last Friday and had still not been resolved by Tuesday, leaving customs procedures largely at a standstill for five consecutive days.
According to Customs Department spokesperson George Constantinou, the issue affects the platform used to process customs clearance payments and has also disrupted the automated import system. Without successful payment of the required duties and charges, customs officials are unable to complete the clearance process or authorise the release of cargo.
The prolonged outage has created significant delays at Cyprus' busiest commercial port, with hundreds of shipping containers arriving each day. The disruption is also having an impact on business activity as importers face delays in receiving their goods.
While technical teams continue working to restore the system, the Customs Department is examining temporary alternatives to keep cargo moving. One option under consideration is allowing payments to be made through bank transfers until the electronic system is back online.
Temporary arrangements have also been put in place for goods requiring refrigerated storage, helping to protect temperature-sensitive cargo while the backlog is cleared.
