With less than two months left, let's check in on Brexit: All IT systems are up and running and ready to go, says no one
- Reference: 1604482209
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/11/04/brexit_it_systems_not_ready/
- Source link:
According to [1]a report from the Institute for Government [PDF] , one of the IT systems vital to cross-border commerce is still being tested and is not ready to roll out.
The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is set to handle trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and transit traffic crossing the GB-EU border from January.
"Existing IT systems need to be upgraded and new ones built. Most are ready but GVMS, critical for facilitating customs checks at the main Channel ports, is still being tested and has not yet been formally launched," according to the report Preparing Brexit: How ready is the UK?
"GVMS does not currently produce a single barcode that can be easily and quickly scanned, delaying the movement of goods through ports. Full scale end-to-end testing has yet to take place and is not due to be complete until 4 December, less than a month before some firms will be expected to use it. Businesses are also worried that there is little time left for them to learn how to use the system and link it to their own internal computer systems – reducing its effectiveness."
Brexit border-line issues: Would you want to still be 'testing' software designed to stop Kent becoming a massive lorry park come 31 December? [2]READ MORE
Meanwhile, other upgrade programmes have come under pressure because of Brexit.
The Customs Declarations Service (CDS) was originally due to replace the UK's main system for customs declarations – the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system – from January 2019 but it has been repeatedly delayed. CHIEF will continue to be used for most trade at the GB-EU border.
In July, [3]the UK government earmarked £115m for new IT systems to help with the management of customs arrangements, including the CHIEF and CDS software.
"Few traders currently have experience of using CDS, and those carrying out both GB–NI and GB–EU trade will need to input into both systems from January," the report said. "While the government is confident the service is on track to handle customs declarations at the GB-NI border from January, the Association of Freight Software Suppliers believes final details may be delivered too late for companies to adapt their internal IT systems by January."
Then there is Smart Freight, the system supposed to help HGV drivers understand if they are ready to cross the border into the EU. [4]It is still in beta , although the government insists that means it is actually ready to be operational.
To add to the confusion, or perhaps save embarrassment, Smart Freight has been renamed the "Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border" service. No, really.
"The government is developing a new 'Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border' tool to ensure lorry drivers are ready for customs checks and avoid unprepared lorries causing disruption – but is only just making it available to traders," the report continued.
Trade associations, [5]including Logistics UK , have argued this gives transport companies scant time to test the system against their own working practices and introduce new business processes where necessary.
The local [6]IT supply chain also remains unconvinced that Brexit will run smoothly given the lack of information to help IT distributors and resellers prepare for the final heave ho. ®
Get our [7]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/preparing-brexit-how-ready-uk.pdf
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/04/brexit_export_import_sytem_late/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/13/uk_government_commits_at_least/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/25/brexit_travel_permits_software_beta/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/25/brexit_travel_permits_software_beta/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/16/brexit_how_can_it_be/
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
How can this ever work out well? Ultimately, we will be beholden to whatever happens in the US (since the US is the worlds second largest economic bloc (16.3% world GDP), behind China (16.4% world GDP), and we aren’t likely to want to upset our relationship with the US (with associated defence implications) in order to increase our standing with China). The third largest, and only just, is the EU (16% world GDP). We’re busy screwing our relationship with the EU - an agreement which should have been the easiest to reach given our already close ties, and why would anyone want to prioritise the UK (2.5% world GDP) over the major players? This is (as was predicted by anyone not mad with jingoism and blind optimism) a bloody disaster, and we are seeing the last of the influence and power that we had in the world go down the drain.
So. To the US. The special relationship. If Trump wins the election then the special relationship will remain insofar as Trump will pay lip service to it, whilst taking every advantage of the UKs desperation. We will be the battered bride to his abusive husband. Bend over UK, ‘cos America’s feeling horny and it’s spankin’ time.
If Biden wins, and pray to whichever deity you believe / don’t believe in that he does (because the world really is f*cked if we continue down the far right road to ruin), then the special relationship is likely done. After all, what advantage is there in it for America? The UK was a conveniently English speaking bridge-head into Europe. We’ve blown up the bridge so, honestly, we have no purpose in the world any more.
Whether the IT systems are up and running or not is significant, of course, but it’s only a paragraph in a larger tome of disappointment and lunacy.
That 'special relationship' is not really helpful as it is actually a triangle.
The UK has a special relationship with the US but the special relationship of the US is with Ireland. And Ireland and the UK can best be described as "it's complicated". This triangle is making things harder, not easier.
To be fair...
this Brexit thing has only been know, what a couple weeks? Wait what?
Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border
Early information about this system suggested it was little more than a series of tickboxes whereby exporters would promise they really had the right paperwork and could proceed across the Kent border to the Farage Garage - the truth of their assertion only coming to light when the lorry finally reached the port.
If they can't even deliver that on time, there is really very little hope. Not that it's been in massive supply anywhere in 2020.
Re: Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border
I have no first hand experience of it but that is what I heard as well. A checklist to ask lorry drivers if they had thought of X, Y and Z before entering a border county.
You have to admit, though, renaming it to 'Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border' makes a lot of sense then.
Re: Check an HGV is Ready to Cross the Border
CHRCB.
Sounds like an HGV with a manky gearbox shifting gears.
Re: Have an upvote
for mentioning the 'Farage Garage' aka Kent.
too bad he's over in the USA glad handing Donald 'Four more years' Trump and complaining about all the shops, hotels and offices that have been boarded up in preparation for the election result.
For the rest of us, the 1st Jan 2021 will become known as Footgun day. The day when our collective [redacted] comes home to roost and almost all trade with the EU stops dead in a mountain of paperwork and totally incompatible IT Systems.
Apparently still negotiating
Though the deadline for ratification has passed, both sides are apparently still negotiating. This probably only makes sense if a potential extension to the transition period is in the offing.
Re: Apparently still negotiating
The deadline for ratification is 15 November so there is still a tiny bit of time.
An extension to the official Transition Phase is legally impossible. Even if there was some political will, even if you were to get it through the Council where there are 27 vetoes, or Parliament where numerous MEPs have shown to take a hawkish stance, anybody with even the slightest standing could just contest a Transition extension in court.
What I can, with a lot of effort, envision is some small phase of "let's not change everything at once" after the Transition Phase ends.
Re: Apparently still negotiating
With the rise in COVID cases almost all over Europe (including here) governments in the EU states will have other things on their mind other than approving a deal or an extension of our transition period.
We are doomed! This time for real.
QR
Why do they not just create a QR code? They've managed that quickly for things like the in-country COVID apps?