At the invitation of the Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Dr. Edwin Mhede, WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya visited Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, Tanzania on 5 and 6 February 2020 to discuss Customs modernization with the TRA and political leaders.
In Dar es Salaam, a major entry point for Africa on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, Dr. Mikuriya met the TRA’s management team to discuss progress with the implementation of Customs reform, including the setting up of a Customs Laboratory for which the WCO has recently conducted a feasibility study. He also visited the port of Dar es Salaam to observe the use of various technologies, including the scanner control system, and discussed measures to improve trade facilitation.
In Dodoma, capital of Tanzania, Secretary General Mikuriya met with the Minister of Industry and Trade (MIT), Hon. Innocent L. Bashungwa, and discussed the way forward for establishing a coordination mechanism between the MIT, the TRA and other stakeholders to facilitate two-way trade, with due consideration for small and medium-sized enterprises. He also met with the Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Philip Mpango, to review a wide range of issues related to Customs reform. Minister Mpango assured Dr. Mikuriya of the prompt accession of Tanzania to the WCO Revised Kyoto Convention, with a view to ratifying and implementing the WTO TFA. Both Ministers agreed to focus on human resource development and capacity building for Customs, and especially for young Customs officers, in order to achieve a sustainable reform process with the support of the ongoing Master Trainer Program.
Dr. Mikuriya expressed his appreciation of Tanzania’s strong political support for Customs modernization, and conveyed the WCO’s commitment to enhanced cooperation.