Under the auspices of the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project, the WCO visited Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 27-29 January 2020 to work with the Programme Global Shield (PGS) national trainers of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to train Customs officials working at the various border stations.  This is a part of the ongoing efforts of TRA to further enhance its border control capacity to improve safety and security of the people in Tanzania and its neighboring countries. 

PGS is a multilateral WCO initiative, aims at building capacity of customs administrations to counter illicit trafficking and diversion of chemicals and other components used by terrorists to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).  In the case of East Africa, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda are concretely supported by the WCO/JICA Joint Project and have already become PGS members.  In addition, TRA, together with other 4 Revenue Authorities, participated in the Sub-regional Training-of-Trainer Workshop in East Africa on PGS jointly organized by the WCO and JICA early last year and developed a pool of PGS trainers for more sustainable PGS training delivery in Tanzania.

Following the Training-of-Trainer workshop, PGS trainers of TRA have eagerly trained more than 120 TRA officials by conducting local training to secure its borders.  Witnessing the great ownership and leadership demonstrated by the TRA on PGS, the WCO and JICA agreed to support them further and to work with PGS trainers at Dar es Salaam to organize another national PGS workshop for managers and staffs working at various border stations where a variety of goods are imported into Tanzania.   Together with the WCO experts, PGS trainers of TRA trained 31 TRA officials on precursor chemicals, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), detection methods as well as their handling, labeling and storage regulations.  Participants to the workshop appreciated the information shared.  Both the WCO and JICA will continue to support TRA and other revenue authorities in East Africa to further enhance their border control capacity. An operational exercise for all five East African countries supported by the WCO/JICA Joint Project has been already introduced to be conducted early this year.

For more information, please contact Capacity.Building@wcoomd.org.