Director visiting the ROCB in the WCO East and Southern Africa region

27 January 2009
Director visiting the ROCB in the WCO East and Southern Africa region

January 2009

On January 26, the Director of Capacity Building. Mr. Lars Karlsson, visited the Regional Office of Capacity Building (ROCB) for the WCO East and Southern Africa region in Nairobi. During the visit, Mr. Karlsson, discussed the planning of various Capacity Building programes and modernization activities for the region with the Director of the ROCB, Mr. John Bisonga. The Director also met and talked with all of the staff of the office.

Mr.Karlsson said; “It is always a pleasure to visit the ROCB for ESA in Nairobi. I have had the opportunity to see the development of this specific office over the years and also to visit the ROCB many times. Since this was our second ROCB to be established worldwide a few years ago and also our first office of this kind in Africa, it is certainly a privilege to return to see how far we have reached and how much that has been accomplished in a fairly short time. I would like to thank Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for their strong support in hosting the office and also the Swedish Government that has been a sponsor and supporter for the office since the start. Now it is time to move the activities of the office to a new level and this is a challenge the ROCB and the region is prepared and ready for. The regionalization is very important part of the WCO Capacity Building strategy. Capacity Building can never be carried out from Brussels, it needs to be planned, coordinated and most important – be carried out and implemented on the ground in our regions, in our member countries. This is why the regional Capacity Building infrastructure with the ROCB:s and the Regional Training Centers are and even more in the future will be key components and vehicles for the delivery of Capacity Building”.