WELLINGTON: The government of New Zealand yesterday provided a $2.5million grant to the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO).
New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Mark Ramsden while signing the Grant Funding Arrangement (GFA) said this was the next phase of New Zealand’s support for OCO.
The grant which was allocated for three years was signed by the parties at the OCO office in Suva.
This was a shift from annual to a three years funding cycle which the OCO regards as an indication of New Zealand’s confidence of the transformation and progression within OCO.
“OCO is in many ways the engine room for trade in the Pacific,” Mr Ramsden said.
“What OCO does enables Pacific countries to trade with each other, to take advantage of globalisation and we are all highly dependent on trade.”
He said one of New Zealand’s strong focuses in the region was to boost outwards trade from the region.
“But of course trade is more than just goods; and tourism is obviously a huge industry which customs also plays its role in tourism,” Mr Ramsden said.
New Zealand is a founding member of OCO through the NZ Customs service.
Meanwhile, the OCO Head of Secretariat, Seve Paeniu said the signing of the new GFA coincided with commencement of the five-year OCO Strategic Plan 2017-2022.
“The funds committed under the new GFA will enable OCO to implement and deliver on the priority areas set out in the new strategic plan,” he said.
There are five priority areas under the strategic plan: Customs Leadership; Law Enforcement and Border Security; Trade Facilitation; Revenue Mobilisation; and Institutional Strengthening of small member administrations.