BRUSSELS: For the year 2015, issues of coordinated border management (CBM) will be the focus of global customs administrations following the need to ensure an improved trade facilitation which is a crucial aspect of customs operations involving cross border trade between countries, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), has said.
It is hoped that the choice of the global customs 2015 theme, “Coordinated Border Management – An inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders,” will also help in safeguarding the lives and properties of citizens of countries by protecting the borders against the influx of dangerous arms and ammunitions through tools that would be developed in this regard.
The secretary-general of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya, who announced that 2015 will be dedicated to promoting coordinated border management said WCO members will have the opportunity to promote the enhanced coordination practices and mechanisms that they have implemented within their administrations and with other customs administrations and government agencies as well as with economic operators involved in cross-border trade.
The term coordinated border management (CBM) refers to a cooperative approach by border control agencies, both at the national and international level, in the context of seeking greater efficiencies over managing trade and travel flows while maintaining a balance with compliance requirements. The initiative can result in more effective service delivery, less duplication, cost-savings through economies of scale, enhanced risk management with fewer but better targeted interventions. It can also result to cheaper transport costs, less waiting times, lower infrastructure improvement costs, wider sharing of information and intelligence as well as strengthened connectivity between all border stakeholders.
According to a statement by Mikuriya, made available on the organisation’s website, all border agencies are expected to work together through this initiative for the purpose of achieving the overall good of the country.
“It behooves on all the border agencies to work together for the common good despite varying regulatory mandates. With this in mind, the WCO and customs administrations have long supported the notion of CBM which aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the multiple public service functions undertaken at borders,” Mikuriya stressed.
Emphasizing the need for knowledge sharing, the WCO boss added, “Over the course of 2015, I invite all WCO members to promote and share information on their domestic and international coordination efforts with other border entities, including economic operators involved in cross-border trade.”
The 2015 theme will be launched on the International Customs Day (ICD) which is celebrated annually by the global customs community on January 26 in honour of the inaugural session of the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) which took place on January 26, 1953. Mikuriya has already called on the global customs community to mark the date in their diaries with a view to simultaneously celebrating it worldwide. The global customs theme for 2015 is apt in view of the present challenges faced in Nigeria in the area of security, and the need to ensure a secured border. Apart from helping to address issues of security, the initiative would also go a long way in boosting Nigeria’s trade facilitation efforts. Mikuriya had, during one of his visits to Nigeria, advocated the need for a better CBM as a way to improve the country’s trade facilitation efforts and, ultimately, economic activities.
Speaking against the background of his interaction with the business community in Nigeria, the WCO boss submitted that a better CBM at the country’s entry points will go a long way to boost economic activities. While pointing out that the trading community in Nigeria has called for better transparency and predictability in doing business in the country, he said his position was informed by the traders’ complaints about the multiple agencies at the ports which could result to some transaction delays. He explained that during his visit to Apapa ports, Lagos, he met members of the business community who were keen to improve the functionality of the port with a view to gaining economic competitiveness. To this end, Mikuriya emphasised that the customs can provide the big push for that economic competitiveness given that the agency is at the borders and that the customs’ issues are about connectivity.
Calling on the business community to be more compliant, the WCO boss maintained that doing so will ensure a win-win situation to increase competitiveness in a globalised world. While restating the WCO’s commitment to ensuring that governments of member countries rake in more revenue for economic development, Mikuriya said that by providing better investment environment with the WCO’s support, the customs can contribute to providing more sources for future revenue.
He said, “If we will like to increase revenue efficiency, the customs should simplify procedures using more technology and in that way enhance efficiency. This is what we are doing and by providing investment environment, the customs can contribute to providing more sources for revenue in the future.”
Speaking of Mikuriya’s visit to Nigeria, the comptroller-general of customs (CGC), Abdullahi Dikko, said, “The secretary-general has had interaction with officers and stakeholders in Lagos on and he was impressed with what he saw. In terms of manpower we have done so well; we have no complain from stakeholders. In terms of revenue generation, we have seen the positive impact and the additional efforts the service has put in to make sure there is now better performance than what it was. In terms of capacity, officers are now better developed and motivated to deliver.”