Over the recent months, the WCO has worked closely with Liberia Customs in the area of performance measurement and the fight against corruption. This assistance is based on support provided by, and cooperation with many stakeholders. The project in Liberia is funded by NORAD1, supported by an expert from Cameroon Customs and by UNCTAD2.
A WCO mission visited UNCTAD in Geneva from 18-19 June 2013 following the signing of an MOU between the WCO and UNCTAD on 19 March 2013 whereby both organizations would work together towards the elaboration of a Performance Measurement Module that would form part of the ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data) World system. In this context, measuring performance means that the "Customs authority regularly analyses data extracted from an automated Customs clearance system to describe and understand the activities and practices of a specific entity (frontline officers, importers, etc.) in connection with Customs procedures"3.
The module was developed in partnership with Liberia Customs (LBCE) that is planning to use the PM Module to improve the efficiency of its operations and to identify and stop bad practices often linked to corruption.
A joint WCO/UNCTAD mission went to Monrovia from 11-15 November 2013 to explain the performance measurement approach to the new Acting Commissioner and his senior staff, the private sector and operational staff at Freeport. Following the recommendations of the mission, a national project team was appointed and a dedicated server to download the data was purchased. An UNCTAD mission installed the PM Module (ASYPM) in January 2014. This mission was followed by a data mining mission organized by the WCO from 25 January to 9 February 2014. The ASYPM project team and the WCO experts communicated on the use of the module through a platform made available by UNCTAD. A series of modifications to the existing indicators were proposed and integrated in the ASYPM module. A further WCO/UNCTAD mission went to Monrovia in March 2014 to present the first results of the use of the data via ASYPM. The mission demonstrated to Senior Management and operational staff what the indicators revealed in terms of efficiency and bad practices. This information was used by the Senior Management Team to take immediate measures to stop some of the existing bad practices (i.e. rerouting and manual assignment of declarations).
The WCO and UNCTAD jointly presented this project in a paper entitled "Integrity and Trade Facilitation through performance measurement in the Liberia Customs Administration" during a conference organized by the FERDI4 on the theme "Measuring the performance of Tax and Customs Administrations in Developing countries" held from 12-13 June 2014 in Clermont Ferrand, France. The next joint WCO/UNCTAD mission to Liberia is planned to take place in September 2014.
1NORAD – Agence norvégienne pour la coopération au développement
2UNCTAD-United Nations Conference on trade and development
3The Why and How of Performance Measurements Contracts (WCO, 2014)
4Fondation pour les études et recherches sur le développement international