From 25 to 29 July 2016, the WCO carried out a scoping mission in Burundi to assess the capacity of the Burundi Revenue Administration to effectively implement the EAC regional AEO programme.

As part of the mission, the experts visited the Port of Bujumbura, which represents close to 85% of the flows of goods in Burundi (according to Burundi Customs) and conducted an in-depth assessment of various functions, including AEO Programme Management, C2B Partnership, Risk Management and Post-Clearance Audit. Additionally, the experts conducted successful consultations with the private sector and CBRAs to identify ways to enhance the AEO programme’s positive impact on Burundi.

These consultations allowed the WCO experts in cooperation with the respective stakeholders to identify strengths and challenges related to the implementation of the regional AEO programme in the Burundi Revenue Authority. Thanks to this assessment, the WCO supported the Burundi Revenue Authority with the development of a work plan that would address the identified gaps and enhance the implementation of the AEO programme.

The mission was carried out under the auspices of the WCO-EAC CREATe project, funded by the Government of Sweden.

For more information, please contact the WCO – Sweden Programme Director, Richard Chopra (Richard.Chopra@wcoomd.org).