Two National Seminars on the Harmonized System (HS), organized jointly by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), were held in Dar es Salaam, from 10 to 17 December 2015. A two-day Seminar was organized for the Customs Brokers of Tanzania, while a four-day Seminar was conducted for the Customs Officers of the TRA.

The proceedings were officially opened by the Deputy Rector of the Institute of Tax Administration, Mr. Charles Sabuni. In his welcoming remarks to the participants, Mr. Sabuni highlighted the importance of the correct tariff classification of goods and the continuous support of the WCO and NORAD in meeting Tanzania's requirements for capacity building initiatives. He also thanked the representative from the WCO Secretariat's Directorate of Tariff and Trade Affairs for facilitating the high level discussions on tariff classification issues.

During the Seminars led by the WCO expert and a team of local trainers, the groups discussed the use and future prospects of the HS and some practical cases of tariff classification in relevant areas such as pharmaceutical preparations, food preparations, "high-tech" commodities, textile products and base metals. A wide range of HS-related matters were addressed and the

80 or so participants attending the two Seminars were also thoroughly informed about the General Interpretative Rules (GIRs) and the fundamental principles and practicalities of HS classification to ensure correct and uniform application of the HS.

Representing the Private Sector at the closing ceremony, Mr. Waheed K.

Saudin, Executive Councillor of the Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association

(TAFFA) stressed the importance of proper declaration of goods in the HS in order to ensure correct and uniform classification of goods as well as trade facilitation - a key issue for Customs administrations and other relevant international trade stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

Also at the closing ceremony, Mr. Said Athuman, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Tariff and Trade, thanked NORAD and the WCO for their ongoing cooperation and said that Tanzania is committed to completing the process of modernizing its HS related infrastructure. He advised participants to make good use of the course materials given to them and to apply the knowledge and skills that they had acquired during this training whilst simultaneously endeavouring to share the same with their colleagues in their work places.