Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
CARICOM agrees on measures to improve region’s customs system
Caricom Secretariat Senior Project Officer, Bernard Black, spoke to the media yesterday about some
CARICOM Senior Project Officer, Bernard Black
of the challenges facing the customs harmonization process within the region and some of the proactive measures stakeholders have agreed to adopt to improve the system across the board.
Some of these measures include the revision of the customs laws and reviewing certain systems in some countries which may lead to the sometimes irritating delays in the customs department.
After conducting several discussions over the period, April 27 to 30, customs officials, legal experts and CARICOM representatives closed their final meeting in Guyana, in agreement on the way forward for the finalization of the regulations to support harmonized customs legislation for the region.
The group met for the second time in two months to continue its review of the draft regulations presented in Antigua and Barbuda in February. The substantial progress made on these deliberations is the product of a 12-year-long process supported heavily by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States Business Climate Facility (BizClim) and signals a commitment to unlocking the region’s collective trading potential.
The ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim) is a programme of the ACP Secretariat financed by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). It aims at fostering a business enabling environment in ACP countries and regions by improving legislation, institutional frameworks and financial measures relating to the enabling environment of the private sector.
Closure on this harmonization process will see finalized regulations submitted first to the relevant CARICOM meeting bodies for their approval, then to national governments for consideration alongside the Draft Bill to harmonize customs.
With the successful implementation of proposed modern systems and procedures, it is expected that stakeholders can look forward to direct, tangible benefits such as increased operational efficiency and the application of consistent standards throughout the region.
Black expressed that, “A number of major advantages of the harmonized reform package include a strengthened, standardized complaints system for aggrieved traders that will engender greater accountability; a single, identical electronic form for the region’s customs brokers to improve accuracy and facilitate the generation of reliable data; and the simplification of bureaucratic processes resulting in reduced waiting periods for traders.”
He articulated that the effective development and application of a harmonized customs policy and legislation for the region remains an important step in achieving the goals of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.
At the end of the meeting, The CARICOM Project Manager commended the ACP Business Facility for its “monumental assistance towards the deepening of the region’s economic integration process.”
Black believes that there is still much room for improvement when it comes to compliance with the customs laws in some states while others are shown by their records to be very compliant such as the St. Kitts and Nevis. Based on his observations, he believes that in Guyana’s case, there is a need for the improvement of scrutiny within the customs department.
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