After becoming the most recent Caribbean WCO Member, Antigua & Barbuda is also one of the most active.  A WCO Mercator Programme strategic planning and implementation planning mission was conducted from the 28th January to 1st of February 2019. This follows a Mercator Programme scoping mission that took place from the 13th to the 17th of November 2017. During the interim period, Antigua & Barbuda Customs and Excise Department (ABCED) have been advancing recommendations made in the scoping report, as well as the Comptroller and his staff commencing a number of related projects and initiatives.

In designing the new strategic plan, participants spent time discussing the border management environment. This began with a detailed stakeholder analysis followed by drawing on their experience to conduct a SWOT analysis. This led to examining government, private sector and community expectations as well as ABCED introspection and staff expectations. During the second half of the week drafting the plan commenced on priorities, objectives, activities, key performance indicators and assigning responsibility.

Working with the WCO, selected managers and team leaders identified areas of capacity building, as well as prioritized and planned interventions that will help ABCED “transform in to a modern Customs organization meeting international standards”. The new strategic plan includes operational objectives and activities with a timetable that managers and team leaders can work towards over the next five years.