Second Indian MCTP Delegation at the WCO

21 October 2014

As part of the overseas component of the Indian Customs Administration Mid Career Training Programme (MCTP), a second Delegation of high-level officials from the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN) and the Indian Tax, Excise and Customs Services, visited WCO Headquarters on 17 October 2014.

The delegation was welcomed by WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya who made an opening speech on the WCO and the role played by Customs in international trade.

After a general introduction on the WCO's history, structure and mission, the meeting continued with specific presentations on current WCO activities in the fields of enforcement, trade facilitation, capacity building and tariff and trade affairs. WCO programmes were explained and discussed, as well as the various tools and instruments made available to Members in the various fields.

In his closing address, H.E. Manjeev Singh Puri, Ambassador of India to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg, welcomed the group to Belgium, noted the great importance of Customs and international trade and underlined the long history of cooperation between India and Belgium.