Have You Got Anything to Declare? Neo-Colonialism, Information Systems, and the Imposition of Customs and Duties in a Third World Country

Many researchers agree that information and communications technologies are deeply implicated in the process of globalization. There is much less agreement, however, on what globalization means in particular situations and contexts. This paper places the development of a specific information system in a Third World country within the context of neo-colonialism and post-colonialism. It shows how the implementation of an integrated software package, developed by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, imposed its own cultural logic on the Maldives Customs Service. This paper can be seen as one response to the call to study particular individuals, groups, organizations, or societies in detail, and in the context of globalization.