At the invitation of Mr. Alfonso Rojas, President of the Association of Professional Customs Brokers of the Americas (ASAPRA), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the 46th General Assembly of ASAPRA held in Panama City, Panama, from 18 to 19 November 2015.
The meeting was attended by Customs broker associations from 19 countries from the Americas, Spain and Portugal. Several Directors General of Customs from Latin American countries also participated in the Congress, sharing their national experiences, main projects for reform and modernization and the best practices they are applying.
During the opening ceremony, the ASAPRA President recognized the WCO's leadership in fostering a positive environment that promotes Customs modernization and economic competitiveness. In his keynote speech, Deputy Secretary General Mujica presented the main activities and developments of the WCO during the last year, emphasizing the role of Customs brokers to support Customs administrations’ activities.
Mr. Mujica also invited the congress to further explore areas were Customs and Customs brokers can cooperate more effectively to enhance trade facilitation and improve compliance, in particular with a view of strengthening capacity and professionalism.
During his mission to Panama, Mr. Mujica held working meetings with the management team of Panama Customs, reviewing the main projects they are working on to further enhance their reform and modernization efforts. He also met with Panama’s Vice-Minister of International Trade, Mr. Nestor Gonzalez, as well as representatives from government agencies related to border management and international trade.
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Photo (from right to left): WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica and ASAPRA President Alfonso Rojas