As part of a one-week international exposure training course in Europe, under the leadership of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and in coordination with India’s National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN), five delegations of trainees from the Indian Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) visited WCO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium during February and March 2018.
Upon their arrival, some groups were welcomed by WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya while others were greeted by Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Treviño Chapa. At the start of their respective visits, they were briefed about the main challenges faced by Customs in the current international trade environment and the relevance of the six WCO priorities for 2017/2018: Trade Facilitation, E-Commerce, Security, Customs-Tax Cooperation, Illicit Financial Flows, and Performance Measurement.
This was followed by a general presentation on the Organization’s historical background, structures and main activities, then by more specific ones on current WCO activities carried out by each Directorate and the corresponding tools and instruments available to Members, in areas such as illicit trade, trade facilitation and procedures, tariff and trade affairs, and capacity building.
As for the specific topics addressed, expertise was shared firstly on the various programmes and activities carried out by each team working in the Compliance and Enforcement Sub-Directorate: the results achieved as well as the ensuing benefits for Members were explained in detail.
Subsequently, opportunities and challenges offered by digitalization, trade facilitation, regional integration and transformative technologies were discussed. Particular reference was made to the importance of the Revised Kyoto Convention as the blueprint for a modern Customs administration and the main tool for implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), as well as to the Single Window and to the Safe Framework of Standards, which strengthens security along the supply chain.
The tools and instruments of the WCO Revenue Package as well as the background to the various conventions were also presented, together with the latest developments in the Origin, Harmonized System and Valuation areas in relation to the WCO Strategic Goals.
The way in which the WCO and its regional structures work in support of the capacity building objectives under the WCO Organizational Development Package brought the visits to a close, along with the Mercator Programme and its delivery mechanisms, including the benefits WCO Members can reap from CLiKC!, an essential e-learning tool.