The WCO has been working under a Customs Capacity Building project in Vietnam, funded by Norway, focusing on capacity building in the management of Customs Brokers and Stakeholder Engagement. In January, at the request of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC), a mission was conducted by WCO experts to support GDVC to further validate the Stakeholder Engagement and Client Services strategies and implementation plans under a new risk-based Compliance Management programme.

During the January mission, some of the results were seen of Vietnam’s ongoing efforts, supported by the WCO, to improve engagement with stakeholders in the private sector.  The GDVC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Japan Business Association (JBA) in Vietnam.  The WCO Experts were encouraged to hear from Mr. Taiji YANAI, Chairman of the JBA, who stated that business members of the JBA felt that the GDVC was listening and taking into account private sector feedback on customs matters and policies.

Other highlights of the mission included the publication of a new Consultation Guidelines booklet detailing GDVC’s commitment to a new, client-centered service approach.

This mission took place in Hanoi, 16-20 January 2017.

The WCO-Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) Customs Capacity Building Project 2012-17 aims at delivering technical assistance to seven countries: Timor-Leste, Liberia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam.  For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Ms. Andrea Hampton (Andrea.Hampton@wcoomd.org)