How to convince national partners and donors to finance Customs modernization initiatives?
This critical question was the main topic of the World Customs Organization (WCO)’s national support mission to Guinea-Bissau that took place from 30th of September to the 04th of October 2013.
Indeed, in the framework of the West African Customs Administrations Modernization (WACAM) project, financed by the Swedish government, the World Customs Organization (WCO) provided specific support to the Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau in the field of resource mobilization. Throughout the week, the 12 participants (including 4 women) have enhanced their knowledge and skills in regards to the formulation of business cases and project proposals aiming to secure funding from both national budget and development partners’ funds.
The mission took place at a most relevant time for the Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau as it has just finalized its strategic plan in the course of August 2013. It now must tackle the challenges linked to the implementation of this plan, one of them being the lack of necessary resources to develop the capacities to carry out all necessary foreseen activities. It is hence paramount for this Customs Administration to be able to develop sound and convincing business cases and project proposals that will allow them to mobilize, at least some, funds to pursue its Customs modernization efforts that will allow it to achieve its mission objectives.
During the mission, the WCO also supported the Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau to establish initial contacts with key resource mobilization stakeholders such as development cooperation partners (United Nations Development Programme, National Authorizing Officer of the European Development Fund...) and national partners (Secretary of State for Budget, Tax Administration...). These meetings allowed the Customs Administration to not only present their new Customs and reform modernization plan but also to lay down the basis for regular consultations with these stakeholders.
At the end of the week, the WCO is pleased to announce that the Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau, with the support of the Deputy-Director or the WCO Capacity-Building Directorate and the WACAM Project Manager, was able to prepare a draft business case and project proposal for priority modernization initiatives and to carry out a donor-mapping exercise.
The Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau and the WACAM project will now work together to finalize the business case and project proposal before entering the next phase of the planned support, which will aim to build the Customs Administration of Guinea-Bissau’s capacities to organize a national donor round-table event on Customs modernization that will allow them to approach donors in a structured and coordinated manner.
For more information about this mission and the WACAM project, please contact the WCO WACAM Project Manager, Mr. Richard Chopra ( richard.chopra@wcoomd.org ).