[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55337-55338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-26305]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Proposed Collection; Comment Request
AGENCY: International Trade Data System Project Office, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and
respondent burden and in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)(A)), the Department of
the Treasury invites the general public and other Federal agencies to
comment on continuation of this information collection. Specifically,
the International Trade Data System (ITDS) Project Office within the
Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the
migration of the ITDS, using the lessons learned in the North American
Trade Automation Prototype (NATAP), to an operational pilot.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before December 13,
1999 to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to The Department of the
Treasury, International Trade Data Systems Project Office, Attn:
William Nolle, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC
20229, Telephone (202) 216-2760.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the instructions should be directed to The Department of the
Treasury, International Trade Data Systems Project Office, Attn.:
William Nolle, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC
20229, Telephone (202) 216-2760. Information concerning the ITDS can
also be obtained at the following Web Site: http//www.itds.treas.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: The International Trade Data System (formerly North American
Trade Automation Prototype).
OMB Number: 1505-0162.
Abstract: After extensive consultation with the trade community in
Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the NAFTA Information Exchange
and Automation Working Group developed the North American Trade
Automation Prototype (NATAP). Mandated by Article 512 of the NAFTA,
NATAP was developed by the three countries to experiment with
standardized data, advanced automation technologies, communications,
and encryption designed to reduce costs and improve trade among the
three NAFTA countries. The NATAP also served as a proof of concept for
many attributes for the International Trade Data System (ITDS) as
defined in the National Performance Review (NPR) under initiative ``IT
06'' and as noted in the ``Access America'' NPR report ``A09'' in which
the Vice President designated NATAP to validate the International Trade
Data System concept. In addition, NATAP incorporated encryption and
privacy as noted in NPR initiative ``IT10.''
First, the ITDS, which will be totally electronic and incorporate
elements of electronic commerce into government business, seeks OMB
approval for the project to move forward from the prototype environment
through a pilot collection phase, under OMB Control Number 1505-0162,
to:
``Minimize the cost to the Federal Government of the
creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition
of international trade information.'' (35 U.S.C. 3501(1), (2), and
(5));
``Ensure the integrity, quality, and utility of the
Federal statistical system relating to international trade.'' (35
U.S.C. 3501(9));
``Ensure information technology is acquired, used, and
managed to improve performance of agency missions, including the
reduction of information collection burdens on the public.''(35 U.S.C.
3501(10);
``Maximize practical utility, and eliminate unnecessary
duplication of existing collections.'' (Vice President Gore
Implementation Memorandum, September 15, 1995);
``Minimize Federal paperwork burden on respondents and the
cost of the collection to multiple agencies.'' (Vice President Gore
Implementation Memorandum, September 15, 1995);
``Ensure the greatest possible public benefit from and
maximize the utility of information created, collected, maintained,
used, shared and disseminated by or for the Federal Government as
contained in the National Performance Review study IT-06.'' (Also cited
in Access America, Reengineering Through Information Technology, the
National Performance Review, 3 February 1997, Government Printing
Office.); and
Simplify the international trade process, especially to
open international export trade to those small-to-medium size U.S.
companies who are not trading internationally because they are
intimidated by the complex and confusing trade process that currently
exists.
Second, as each collection agreement is established between a
Federal agency/branch and the ITDS, it is proposed that authority will
be requested from OMB in accordance with the PRA as follows: 1) unless
exempted, all agency collections of information are subject to OMB
review and approval regardless of the collection media or collection
technique (44 U.S.C. 3502(3); 5 CFR 1320.3(c)(1); 60 Federal Register
44978-79 (August 29, 1995): 2) if two or more agencies are obtaining
the same information from the same respondents, the agencies should
agree among themselves which agency will act as the collecting agent
for all of them; and 3) OMB may designate one of the agencies to be the
collecting agency (44 U.S.C. 3509 and 3510). In that regard, the ITDS
is the result of multi-agency cooperation under the auspices of the
National Performance Review and is designed as a system that works
across all functional areas regarding international trade data
collection, processing, use, and storage.
Eliminate Unnecessary Redundant Data Collection--The ITDS project
represents a significant stride to develop a system for all of the
Federal agencies that collect, process, use, disseminate information on
international trade, and it eliminates unnecessary duplication of data
collections from the public. For example, analyses conducted by the
ITDS office and matched against OMB records indicate that for public
data collection approved by the OMB for international trade
information, nearly 90% of the data provided to Federal trade agencies
are redundant.
If the pilot proves successful and is approved for implementation,
as agencies are linked into the ITDS, the Federal government will be
better able to meet the Paperwork Reduction Act objective to eliminate
``unnecessary duplication'' meaning that information similar to or
corresponding to information that could serve the agency's purpose and
need is already accessible to the agency.
Data standardization and elimination of hundreds of forms for data
collections currently approved by the Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget is central to
information exchange in the ITDS and provides better government to
[[Page 55338]]
the American people and trade community. Data standardization within
the ITDS will bring down barriers between information systems and
reduce data collection costs.
Pilot Strategy--The strategy for the ITDS pilot is based on phased
development and inter-agency involvement in identifying resource needs,
identified to the inter-agency Board of Directors. The ITDS will test
each information collection through a pilot program (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(1)(A)(v); 5 CFR 1320.8(a)(6)). The ITDS office through
Memoranda of Understandings will establish pilot collections.
Reduced Burden--A goal of the ITDS is to reduce unnecessary
paperwork burden on the American business community. As the ITDS
evolves from pilot to implementation, burden on U.S. businesses will be
greatly reduced; both because of the removal of unnecessary duplication
but also because the ITDS will to the extent possible utilize
information that businesses use in the course of their activities.
Data Security--In the process of assuring protection for
confidentiality, the ITDS and agencies will certify that steps will be
taken to safeguard the integrity of and the confidentiality of
information collected (5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)(viii).
Current Actions: This is a request to permit the United States
Treasury Department along with the Federal agencies participating in
the ITDS to collect the data for these pilots for a one year period.
Volunteers will be sought to participate in the ITDS pilot in order to
provide traders with the opportunity to experiment with the advanced
technologies and procedures with minimal expense. Through their
evaluation of ITDS, they will have input into future trade processes,
requirements and the design, development, and deployment of the ITDS.
Type of Review: Extension.
Affected Public: Importers, exporters, customs house brokers, and
carriers who volunteer to participate in ITDS.
Estimated Number of Respondents: There are approximately 120 U.S.
participants.
Estimated Time per Respondents: Each response will not exceed 3.5
minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 0 (No additional burden hours
required. Pilot removes the need for parallel processing as stated in
original notice of November 25, 1996. Pilot replaces burden hours for
Customs document CF 3461-ALT 1515-0069.)
Request for Comments: Comments submitted in response to this notice
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval. All
comments will become a matter of public record. Comments are invited
on: (a) evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency,
including whether the information and the prototype will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of this information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize
the burden of information on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology; (e) estimates of capital start-up costs and costs of
operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide
information.
Dated: October 4, 1999.
William L. Nolle,
International Trade Specialist, International Trade Data System Project
Office.
[FR Doc. 99-26305 Filed 10-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-25-P