From 15-19 January 2024, the Nepal Department of Customs (DoC) and Member experts from Canada and Mauritius worked to further one of Nepal's specific priorities: “Internal control reinforced through enhanced departmental investigation and Post Clearance Audit Office”. This work was conducted under DoC’s participation in the WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme, particularly in relation to the “Audit and Investigation” key factor of the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration.

Senior DoC officials and Member experts examined the governance framework for internal control, including terms of reference, standard operating procedures, relevant legislation, memoranda of understanding, and job and skills descriptions.  In addition, the experts provided orientations from an internal affairs perspective to review DoC’s Integrity Plan.

Topics of discussion included the constituent elements of internal affairs, the professional qualities and challenges faced by an investigator, and the role of internal affairs in the disciplinary process. Important performance measurement aspects were also considered.  Valuable information was elicited from participants, which enabled the progress of the Integrity Plan development during the workshop. As part of clarifying the way forward with the new plan, participants committed to sharing their newly acquired knowledge with colleagues within the organization to support and promote a culture of integrity.

The WCO A-CIP Programme supports more than 20 WCO Member administrations, with funding from Norad and Canada. For more information, please contact: capacity.building@wcoomd.org.