WCO Support Ecuador Customs in planning for implementation of AEO Programme
Under the auspices of the Columbus programme, the WCO conducted a mission to assist the Ecuadorian Customs administration in preparing for the development and implementation of an Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme in the future. The mission was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador from July 16 to 20, 2010 and brought together WCO experts and members of the AEO project implementation team.
In recent years, the Ecuadorian administration, under the leadership of Mr. Mario Pinto, has been actively pursuing modernization efforts. These efforts have lead to a marked increase in the organization’s ability to reach its objectives namely increased revenue collection and an effective reduction in clearance times and costs.
This administration has also decided to actively pursue the implementation of international instruments, such as the SAFE Framework of Standards and the Revised Kyoto Convention. In time, this will further build the administration’s capacity to support the country’s international trade and socio-economic development objectives.
The Customs administration has prioritized its role as a key player in supply chain security and in this regard, will begin the development and implementation of an AEO programme. The WCO assistance focused on developing a draft project document and schedule that will serve to secure support from private and public sector stakeholders. It is estimated the administration will be in a position to launch its first AEO pilot project in early 2012.
The WCO congratulates the Ecuadorian administration and reiterates its commitment to continue to support this important initiative. The WCO expresses its gratitude to the EuroCustoms fund for its financial support and to the Superintendencia de administración tributaria of Guatemala for making an expert available for this mission.