At the request of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), and with the support of the Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF) of Finland, the WCO conducted a diagnostic support mission on the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) from 25 September to 4 October 2019 in Gaborone, Botswana.
The mission was conducted under the framework of the WCO Mercator Program and included discussions with all the relevant departments within BURS along with some important stakeholders from both the public sector and the business community.
Through effective engagement with BURS officials, the WCO team were able to make a comprehensive assessment of the situation with regard to TFA implementation, highlighting some areas where further capacity building and technical assistance support is required.
In collaboration with BURS, the WCO also developed a multi-year Mercator Implementation Plan that will form the basis of future WCO input and will facilitate enhanced engagement with other government agencies and private sector stakeholders involved in trade facilitation reforms.