Through the partnership support from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the SACU Secretariat under the WCO SACU Connect Project, the SACU Region continues to advance its effort in establishing the Regional Preferred Trader Programme (PTP). Success in the implementation of the SACU Regional PTP mutual recognition ambitions hinges on the successful implementation of the national PTPs in all the five SACU Member States. In March 2015, the 13th Steering committee directed the WCO to assess the capacity of the SACU Member States to implement the Preferred Trader Programme.

During the week 16 to 20 May 2016, the WCO commissioned two experts (1 Lead AEO/PTP expert and 1 PCA expert) to conduct the first PTP/AEO Gap Assessment mission in Lesotho. The WCO experts in collaboration with the SACU Secretariat and the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) identified PTP roll-out gaps and defined a respective work plan for closing these gaps. The findings of the mission and the draft work plan were then presented to the Commissioner-Customs and LRA officials involved with the PTP.

For more information, please contact Mr. Dalton N. Nxumalo (WCO-SACU CONNECT Project Manager) at Dalton.Nxumalo@wcoomd.org or Dalton.Nxumalo@sacu.int