With the sponsorship of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a mission to Tanzania from 17th to 28th July 2017 as part of the WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project. The aim of the mission was to build sustainable competence on HS Classification in Customs and to support Customs’ engagement in effective partnership with the private sector.

National workshops on HS Classification with selected officers and members of the trading community were successfully delivered in four regional areas of Tanzania: Mbeya, Arusha, Mwanza and Dar Es Salaam. Each workshop consisted of two sessions held on two separate days, one with operational-level customs officers from the region (attended by a total of 105 officers, including 26 women), and one with representatives from the Private Sector (attended by over 146 representatives), nominated with the cooperation of the Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association (TAFFA).

Presentations were made on the theoretical and practical understanding and implementation of the WCO Revenue Package tools, such as the Guidelines on Customs Infrastructure for Tariff Classification (tools and amendments), General Interpretative Rules and TRA Budgetary changes, with Cases Studies being shared.

The workshop days with the private sector were important forums for TRA to communicate important new information to traders on classification, valuation, budgetary changes and other key issues relevant to their activities.  Additionally, they also provided opportunities to consult traders to gather feedback and experience to develop recommendations to improve TRA’s Customs advice service.

WCO seized the opportunity to raise the topic of Stakeholder Engagement, highlighting some key issues on the importance and benefits of stakeholder consultation, the use of some tools to effectively engage with their internal/external stakeholders to support the establishment of National Committees on Trade Facilitation (NCTF), a way forward to the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

In conclusion, the workshops were mainly delivered by TRA staff that had been trained by the WCO-Norad project, representing a sustainable model for future training delivery and also ensuring the officers have local sources of expertise to facilitate understanding in these areas who also can play an active role in further inputs in TRA’s service to taxpayers overall.