At the invitation of Ms. Marlene Ardaya, Director General of Bolivia Customs, WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the launch of Bolivia’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme in Santa Cruz on 24 March 2015.

The Deputy Secretary General delivered a keynote speech on the importance of AEO at global level and congratulated Bolivia on the newly established programme, successfully finalizing the pilot phase with six exporting companies. The ceremony was also attended by Mr. Enrique Canon, Director General of Uruguay Customs, and representatives from Peru Customs, the Inter-American Development Bank and the private sector of Santa Cruz.

The previous day Mr. Mujica held working meetings in La Paz with the management team of Bolivia Customs, reviewing the main projects they are working on to further enhance their reform and modernization efforts. He also met with the National Chamber of Commerce of Bolivia and high-level representatives from the private sector, who highlighted the importance of the new AEO programme and public-private partnership.

Finally, the Deputy Secretary General met with Bolivia’s Vice-Minister of Commerce and Exports, Mr. Luis Fernando Baudoin, as well as representatives from government agencies related to border management and international trade.  All participants expressed full support for the AEO programme, and committed to explore possible benefits for certified AEO companies in relation to their respective agencies, in addition to the benefits already granted by Customs.