The National Workshop held in Kinshasa from 4 to 8 November 2013 was devoted to two Council Recommendations, the first on tariff classification work and related infrastructure and the second on the introduction of a programme for binding pre-entry classification information.

The Workshop also included a technical section devoted mainly to the structure of the Harmonized System (HS), its General Interpretative Rules (GIR) and the HS 2012 amendments.

The work carried out during the week resulted in the drafting of recommendations aiming to improve classification work in the DRC, the key recommendations being as follows:

• the drafting of a request form for binding pre-entry information to promote the procedure. It should be noted that the provisions laid down in the Council Recommendation are included in their entirety in the National Customs Code of the DRC, but that the procedure is not used by international traders as they are not aware of its existence, 
• establishing, at regional level, permanent Units responsible for tariff issues based on the organizational model in place at the central level,

• setting up a group of trainers specialized in the HS, and appointing a National Co-ordinator,

• drawing up a national HS training plan making particular provision for specialized training courses by Sections or Chapters according to regional or local needs,

This workshop brought together some 60 participants from central, regional and local services. All the services may soon be equipped with the full range of HS-related tools and the Customs Administration of the DRC is doing everything in its power to ensure this is the case.