In connection with the modernization of the work of Customs, the Administration of Tajikistan hosted its first WCO national workshop on the practical implementation and application of the Harmonized System (HS). The main objectives were to address, in a comprehensive manner, the most essential aspects of this work and to assist the Customs Service of Tajikistan with the uniform interpretation and application, and the timely implementation of the current edition of the HS. The workshop was held in Dushanbe from 4 to 7 July 2016, and was funded by the CCF-Korea. Customs officers from several units involved in commodity classification matters attended the workshop. Because the event was conducted in Russian – a language broadly spoken in Tajikistan – the communication with the facilitators from the Russian Federation and the WCO Secretariat was excellent and the participants were very engaged throughout the workshop.

Proving to be an appropriate platform for the discussion of potential improvements in the national tariff classification work and related infrastructure, the participants actively deliberated on a number of issues related to the HS Convention, such as the rights and obligations of HS Contracting Parties, best practices for organizing tariff classification work, proper use of the WCO diagnostic tool and guidelines on tariff classification work and advance classification rulings, as well as fundamental principles and practical cases of HS classification.

During the workshop Ms. V. Konar-Leacy, the representative from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), expressed her appreciation of the co-operation between the IFC and the WCO to support the modernization programme embarked upon by the Customs Service of Tajikistan.

The workshop turned out to be a landmark event in addressing issues of national tariff classification work – one of the most important and complex areas of Customs’ work.