At the invitation of Mr. Miguel Espinoza, Executive President of the Colombian Federation of Logistics Operators in International Trade (FITAC), WCO Deputy Secretary General Sergio Mujica attended the XVth International Congress of FITAC held in Bogota on 3 and 4 October 2013, to discuss the impact of logistics and Customs on global competitiveness.
During the opening ceremony, the President of the Senate of Colombia, Mr. Juan Fernando Cristo, and the Executive President of FITAC recognized the key role of Customs in fostering economic competitiveness.
The Deputy Secretary General participated in a panel discussion with Mr. Juan Ricardo Ortega, Director of the Colombian Tax and Customs Authority (DIAN), Mr. Enrique Canon, Director General of Uruguay Customs and WCO Vice-Chair for the Americas and the Caribbean Region, and Mr. Fabian Villarroel, Secretary General of Chile Customs. The main topics discussed during the panel were Customs-Business Partnerships and the priorities in order to achieve Customs modernization and effectively contribute to economic competitiveness.