The 11th Meeting of the Working Group on Revenue Compliance and Fraud (WGRCF) was held at World Customs Organization (WCO) Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on 27 and 28 November 2024.
Organized in a hybrid format, the meeting brought together over 200 delegates representing 65 countries, including representatives of WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs) and international law enforcement organizations.
The opening address was given by Pranab Kumar Das, WCO Director of Compliance and Facilitation, who welcomed all the delegates, emphasizing the importance of global collaboration in strengthening revenue compliance and combating fraud. Hugo Richard Mayer, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Working Group, then opened the meeting by outlining the work programme.
The delegates launched the discussions by examining governance issues, including the updated Terms of Reference of the WGRCF. They also addressed Tariff and Trade Affairs, following the Final Report on the Exploratory Study on a Possible Strategic Review of the Harmonized System (HS). In addition, they looked at the progress achieved on post-clearance audit (PCA) activities, sharing insights and experiences related to fraud detection through PCA techniques.
The Strategy for Fighting Commercial Customs Fraud and Operation LYNX, a key initiative targeting illicit trade in excisable products, were then reviewed. The Secretariat also gave a presentation on the latest developments concerning the ExciseNET platform, aimed at combating excise fraud involving tobacco and alcohol products.
Reports on the outcomes of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) Programme with its Projects TENTACLE and OCTAGON, targeting trade-based money laundering (TBML), were provided as well. The delegates learned about the different strategies adopted by WCO Members such as South Africa, Australia, Canada and Italy (Guardia di Finanza) to fight TBML.
The 11th Meeting concluded with the approval of the WGRCF Work Programme for financial year 2024-2025, and a review of the draft WGRCF Work Programme for 2025-2026 prior to its endorsement. Finally, the delegates proceeded to elect Mr. Jainendra Singh Kandhari from India and Ms. Hema Rana from the United Kingdom to serve, respectively, as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the 12th Meeting to be held in 2025.
Established in 2014, the WGRCF addresses revenue enforcement issues, including commercial fraud, money laundering and smuggling of excisable goods, while promoting fraud prevention and compliance management. It aims to keep Members informed of new initiatives, and foster a forward-looking approach to revenue compliance and fraud prevention.