This article was originally published by Maan News and is republished with permission.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the European Union (EU) are to implement a 2.5 million Euro project to improve Palestinian customs operations and border management.

In a press release they said the move comes as part of broader efforts to strengthen the capacities of Palestinian institutions.

UNCTAD and the EU signed the deal on Monday. It be funded by the EU and implemented by UNCTAD, under the patronage of the caretaker government's Prime Minster and Finance Minister, Salam Fayyad.

According to the press release, a new computerised system "will serve as the backbone of the modernised Palestinian Customs and Border Management and spearhead trade facilitation efforts." With it, Palestinian policy-makers can continuously monitor up-to-date-information on import-declarations and the customs tariff structure, something that, the press release says, "was unavailable."

The head of Operations at the European Commission's office in East Jerusalem, Roy Dickinson, thinks that "this project is another sign of the EU's strong commitment to supporting Prime Minister Fayyad's government in the creation of well-functioning modern institutions serving the Palestinian people."