The SACU-WCO Customs Development Programme

Customs Administrations in Southern African Customs Union (SACU) seek to enhance customs control while ensuring seamless flow of goods across the SACU region. A Risk Management and Enforcement workshop was conducted in August 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The workshop was convened as part of the SACU-WCO Customs Development Programme being implemented in the five SACU countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland). This is part of the WCO Sub-Saharan Customs Capacity Building Programme financed by the Swedish Government through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The objective of the workshop was for the SACU Customs Administrations to consider and agree ways in which they can inculcate the culture of risk management in the daily operations of their administrations and identify practical steps for enhancing regional and national enforcement actions. The workshop also considered approaches through which information exchange can be used in SACU to enhance enforcement initiatives.

SACU recognises the importance of using WCO instruments such as CEN and CENCOMM for the purpose of implementing the joint enforcement activities particularly in addressing the areas that have for a long time been of concern for illicit trade in the SACU region. Tobacco, liquor, clothing, textile and motor vehicles are all considered high risk commodities in the SACU region and as such this prompted the SACU Heads of Customs to heighten enforcement levels and actions in these areas and others both nationally and at regional level.

Members from SACU Customs Administrations, WCO and the SACU Secretariat identified concrete and practical risk profiling criteria together with an approach for information exchange using the WCO instruments. This will see SACU improve the exchange of risk information and strengthening efforts in the fight against illicit trade in the region. The SACU region agreed to leverage on the experience and expertise of WCO and its Regional Intelligence Liaison Office (RILO) in WCO East and Southern Africa (ESA) region in implementation of enforcement activities and in building the Risk Management capabilities in the region. SACU through partnering with the WCO in this manner will benefit by using the WCO experience in conducting operations in an effort to combat illicit trade in the SACU region.

Our Partners

This programme is funded by the Swedish International Development Agency and by SACU own resources	This programme benefits from the international standards, Customs expertise, advisory support and fund acquisition/fund management of the World Customs Organization.

Programme Contacts

Regional Programme Manager

Ms. Bokang Rosemary Mokati

SACU - Secretariat

Cnr R. Mugabe and S. Nujoma Avenue | PBag 13285 | Windhoek, Namibia

Tel: +264 61 2958000/13 | Fax: +264 61 305621

Email: Rosemary.Bokang@sacu.int | Website: http://www.sacu.int

National Project Managers in SACU Customs Administrations

BOTSWANA Mr. Gofaone Gabositwe Tel:+267 3639702 Email:ggabositwe@burs.org.bw	LESOTHO Mr. Lieketseng Lipholo Tel:+266 52215021 Email:l.lipholo@lra.org.ls	NAMIBIA Ms. Susan Beukes Tel:+264 61 2092812 Email:susan.beukes@gov.mof.na
SOUTH AFRICA Mr. Thami Sithole Tel:+27 12 4225900 Email:TSithole@sars.gov.za	SWAZILAND Ms. Mary Dube Tel:+268 24046298 Email:MDube@sra.org.sz