The first activity of the new WCO A-CIP Programme took place in Sierra Leone 11-15th March. WCO experts working together with the National Revenue Authority (NRA) of Sierra Leone – an official A-CIP Partner Administration – identified key areas to inform NRA’s integrity strategy and action plan, to be supported by A-CIP. In addition, experiences were shared by the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) to help inform NRA’s establishment of a new Internal Affairs Unit (IAU). Seventeen key recommendations were made following two meetings of the IAU Working Committee. The meetings were attended by senior staff members from a cross section of NRA departments who provided active and constructive contributions allowing for a critical review of the integrity and anti-corruption agenda.
This first scoping mission provided the opportunity to define a clearer roadmap for future activities to better implement the Revised Arusha Declaration, and to strengthen NRA’s capacity to establish a new Internal Affairs Unit. The mission was a successful start for the A-CIP Programme in Sierra Leone and an excellent example for future actions under A-CIP.
Launched in January 2019, the Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme seeks to enable Customs administrations to combat corruption. The Programme aims to help Administrations strengthen their capacity to fight corruption while concurrently improving the business environment for cross-border trade for selected WCO member countries. The countries participating in this new Programme are: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Tunisia. Financed by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the A-CIP Programme supports these beneficiary countries in implementing new measures to fight corruption and promote integrity in accordance with the ten areas of the Revised Arusha Declaration.
Other WCO members have shown interest in the Programme, and A-CIP is open to support from other donors which could enable more WCO Members to benefit from the Programme’s targeted technical assistance and capacity building.
For more details, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org