The Tonga Customs Administration welcomed a WCO team to conduct a risk management diagnostic mission from 19 to 23 August 2019 at Nuku'alofa Customs office, part of the Ministry of Revenue and Customs. During the week of the mission, a comprehensive review of the existing risk management policy and a gap analysis based on international good practices were carried in order to equip Tonga Customs Administration with the latest tools and instruments in the area of risk management, aimed at enhancing its border controls to further expedite legitimate trade and travel. The mission was made possible through the support of the HMRC-UK fund.
The diagnostic mission was facilitated by gathering information from Tonga Customs prior to the mission through a risk management questionnaire. This was followed by on-site discussions with senior management, middle management and field officers in Tonga Customs. The mission also organized field visits to operational areas at Nuku'alofa Sea Port of Tonga and Fua'amotu International Airport. The WCO team greatly appreciated the valuable input provided by Tonga Customs’ senior management and its headquarters’ staff, as well as by port and airport offices.
The mission placed emphasis on promoting a risk management culture within Tonga Customs and received the full support of the management team. The latter expressed its commitment to reform and modernization of Tonga Customs and said that it was looking forward to WCO capacity building on risk management in the near future, in order to enhance its capability in that domain.
At the close of the mission, the main findings were presented to the Tonga Customs Administration and productive ideas were exchanged between both parties. An executive summary containing priority recommendations was presented to the management team, which thanked the WCO for its continuous support in the different areas of Customs and expressed its gratitude to the diagnostic team for its valuable mission to help Tonga Customs enhance risk management in an effective and efficient manner.