The WCO successfully conducted a five day workshop from 22nd to 26th May 2017 at Nairobi, Kenya to review and develop a new regional risk management strategy pack for the EAC Customs Region. The workshop was conducted under the WCO EAC CREATe Project, financed by the Government of Sweden. The workshop brought together Risk Management experts from Customs administrations of the EAC Partner States and was facilitated by a WCO expert supported by SACU Risk Management experts. The SACU Region recently developed a similar strategy and this activity was the perfect platform for the SACU region to share its experience and further enhance regional cooperation between different Customs Union of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Regional Risk Management Strategy pack which outlines a strategy for the region, risk management criteria and templates for regional risk register draws from the objectives of the EAC Customs union and the EAC Customs Union Strategy. The implementation of the 5 year Strategy will see the EAC adopt a harmonized approach to Risk Management which will include common definitions of risks, harmonized risk criteria, and the sharing of intelligence information among Partner States Customs administrations.

At the opening of the workshop, Mr. Peter Ng’ang’a who represented the Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner for Customs underscored the importance of a regional approach to Risk Management especially in regard to the nature of risks that tend to transcend borders and noted that the new strategy will come in at the right time as the EAC embarks on the implementation of a new 5 year Customs strategy.
 For more information about this activity or the project, please contact the WCO-Sweden Program Director, Mr. Richard Chopra (Richard.chopra@wcoomd.org)