As part of the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), financed by the European Union, the World Customs Organization carried out a diagnostic mission on developing an advance rulings system, for the benefit of the Senegal Customs Administration.

The mission took place in Dakar from 9 to 13 January 2023 and was conducted by two experts from the WCO.

The purpose of this support mission to the Senegal Customs Administration in its efforts to develop a national advance rulings system was to look into the theoretical and practical questions arising from the implementation of such a system in accordance with the relevant international standards, to identify the challenges and the solutions involved in developing it and to take stock in terms of the relevant standards of the WCO and the WTO.

The diagnostic mission is a key stage in developing the advance rulings system through the involvement of Customs managers and the relevant stakeholders.

The diagnostic mission involved 31 participants, consisting of senior and mid-level Customs officials and representatives of the private sector. As a first step, this provided the opportunity to build up the knowledge and skills of the participants to implement and manage an advance rulings system and understand the benefits of such a system and the various WCO tools for developing it.

After assessing Senegal’s situation, the participants drew up a plan of action for the actual implementation by Senegal Customs, as soon as possible, of an advance rulings system in accordance with the relevant standards of the WCO and the WTO and the regulations in place within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

At the end of the mission, Mr. Abdourahmane Dieye, the Director General of Customs, assured the WCO of his unwavering commitment to the development by the Senegal Customs Administration of an advance rulings system, in line with the commitments entered into by his country under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He also thanked the WCO and the European Union for their ongoing support for Customs administrations in Africa in building capacities for the effective application of the HS, the development of advance rulings systems and the improvement of their working model for tariff classification.

For more information, please contact hs@wcoomd.org.