In July 2015 a WCO Capacity Building support mission was undertaken to Timor-Leste. The mission was the latest in a series of inputs as part of the Project for "Customs Capacity Building for WCO Members 2012-15" which is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The aim of the project is to deliver technical assistance to seven countries in specific areas of Customs operations. As one of the countries participating in the project the assistance provided to Timor-Leste Customs Service (TLCS) has been designed to strengthen their revenue collection capacity through implementation of improved working practices and procedures in the areas of Customs Valuation and Tariff Classification.
The Ministry of Finance and TLCS have worked in partnership with the World Bank and other agencies to revise the legislative framework and to prepare a new Customs Procedures Code. The next stage in the Reform & Modernization programme is to implement a new organizational structure that supports changes to processes and procedures. The WCO role was to facilitate a workshop for the TLCS Senior Management Team and explain the key drivers for change and steps to take to comply with the requirements of the Revised Kyoto Convention. The Minister of Finance and the Director General Customs took an active role in the workshop, encouraging managers at all levels to take ownership of the change process.
Meetings were also held with the Reform & Modernization Team and the World Bank to discuss future Capacity Building requirements and to ensure that support was coordinated between all key stakeholders.
For more information on the project for Customs Capacity Building for WCO Members 2012-15 please contact the Project Manager, Mr. Philip Wood Philip.Wood@wcoomd.org