Managua, Nicaragua, 30 & 31 October 2013
At the invitation of Mr. Eddy Medrano, Director General of Nicaraguan Customs, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica visited the Nicaraguan Customs Administration on 30 and 31 October 2013 to support its modernization process and to hold discussions with all the relevant stakeholders participating in this initiative.
During his visit, Mr. Mujica met with Mr. Jose Adrian Chavarria, Vice-Minister of Finance, to discuss the various projects being carried out by Nicaraguan Customs to continue its modernization process, including the implementation of an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, the use of non-intrusive inspection technologies, and initiatives taken to further improve Customs integration in Central America.
The Deputy Secretary General also met with Nicaraguan Customs’ management team for detailed discussions about the Strategic Plan in the process of being implemented and the challenges and opportunities encountered during this process. In addition, Mr. Mujica had a meeting with the team responsible for implementing an AEO Programme in Nicaragua to learn about the latest developments regarding this initiative, which is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
Finally, Mr. Mujica met with the Nicaraguan Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) to discuss the role of Customs in economic competitiveness and the relevance of Customs-Business Partnerships. In this regard, the Nicaraguan government's policy is to achieve consensus with the private sector before implementing any new project or regulation affecting the economic sector. This has led to the development of an effective and constructive platform for dialogue to establish Customs-Business Partnerships.