Incoming WCO Chief Outlines Vision for Improved...

November 10, 2008

10 November 2008

Incoming WCO Chief Outlines Vision for Improved Customs Services

The following was reported on in the 7 November 2008 edition of “World Trade Interactive”.

Kunio Mikuriya, the secretary general-elect of the World Customs Organization, recently laid out the WCO’s vision of how customs administrations can contribute to enhanced growth and development through trade facilitation and border security. In an address to the Trade Symposium hosted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection last week, Mikuriya detailed the major components of the “Customs in the 21st Century” policy paper the WCO Council adopted last June as a roadmap toward this goal.

Mikuriya noted that in the current global economic situation there could be pressure on customs administrations in developing countries to make more of an effort to safeguard and even increase revenue collections. There could also be temptations to introduce implicit trade barriers to defend domestic industry and the revenue base. Mikuriya called on the customs community to “join global efforts to sustain confidence in the trading system” to prevent such developments. The “Customs in the 21st Century” paper sets forth ten specific ways this can be done, as follows.

• Globally networked customs to manage seamless and end-to-end international supply chains – This model will enable risks to be assessed in more depth and managed earlier where necessary, thus reducing the need to intervene when goods arrive while allowing for goods to be tracked and traced throughout the supply chain. It will require the electronic exchange of advance data, mutual recognition of customs controls and the introduction of the authorized economic operator concept.

• Better coordinated border management among all relevant agencies – The integrated border management model that transformed the U.S. Customs Service into U.S. Customs and Border Protection “has inspired many customs administrations to think about border cooperation and coordination,” Mikuriya said. There is even a call for establishing a third pillar relating to coordinated border management to the WCO’s SAFE Framework of Standards in addition to the two existing pillars covering customs-to-customs networks and customs-to-business partnerships. “WCO members are keen to intensify their work in exploring emerging models in this new area,” he added.

• Intelligence-driven risk management – Mikuriya pointed out that WCO members are seriously concerned about the U.S. congressional mandate for 100 percent scanning of containers bound for the U.S. and instead support CBP’s emphasis on a risk management-based approach. To that end WCO members are ready to discuss CBP’s request to review the necessary data elements, such as 10+2, for inclusion in the SAFE Framework.

• Customs-business partnerships – Customs administrations should enter into strategic pacts with trusted economic operators.

• Implementation of modern working methods, procedures and techniques

• Enabling technology and tools

• Enabling legal powers

• A professional, knowledge-based service culture – Customs administrations should be equipped with timely customer-focused processes and services that minimize the administrative burdens on legitimate trade.

• Capacity building – Experience and best practices should be shared among customs administrations to inspire managers to plan and implement customs reforms based on internationally accepted standards. Business communities need to provide strong support for capacity building to ensure that customs administrations get the necessary political commitment and financial and human resources.

• Integrity – Mik


Topic(s): 
World Economy & Politics
Information Source: 
Canadian News Channel / International News Channel
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