The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority steps up its reform programme on integrity
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 18-21 October 2011
Integrity issues are high on the agenda of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA) management as the administration continues its way to a profound reform and modernization process.
Following the 8th Integrity Sub-Committee Meeting in Brussels in September 2010, ERCA decided to initiate and develop a sound Anti-Corruption and Integrity development programme with WCO support and assistance. An internal integrity project committee has been established in order to design the scope and the framework of the project development and implementation. As a first step in this project, ERCA has conducted a thorough self-assessment survey using the WCO Integrity Development Guide checklists. The results have been collected and duly analyzed by the integrity committee which also has drawn important conclusions and recommendations on the way forward.
To further the programme implementation, at the request of the ERCA Director General, on 18-21 October 2011 integrity experts from the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Ghanaian Revenue Authority delivered a support mission to Addis Ababa aiming at validating the results and recommendations of the integrity self-assessment and developing a relevant and practically-oriented integrity development action plan. The workshop was conducted using funding made available to WCO by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
Before the integrity development event, the WCO experts met the Authority’s senior management to assure better orientation in the current situation and to take onboard all important concerns and broader integrity-related issues.
The workshop was designed as a very dynamic and pro-active event oriented towards practical solutions. The participants made an assessment of all activities already taken by their administration to adhere to the highest standards in the field of integrity covering all the 10 elements of the Revised Arusha Declaration. They showed a keen interest in developing and implementing concrete and practically-oriented measures related to strengthening integrity which they could implement in their everyday work. They also benefited from the sharing of experience with the WCO experts and with their colleagues from different units and learning about innovative approaches and practices in dealing with integrity issues.
The Workshop was attended by ERCA staff from different divisions and units of Customs, Tax and corporate services that set a good ground for the Authority to structure their further overall modernisation activities taking integrity concerns into consideration and incorporating them into ongoing reform projects and programmes.
The WCO makes itself available for any request of assistance related to the implementation of the developed Integrity Action Plan and the overall ERCA integrity reform programme and their follow-up.