At the invitation of the Comptroller of Customs, Dr. Geannine Moss, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Nassau, the Bahamas on 22 March 2018 to attend the launch of the WCO Training Programme for the Bahamas Customs and Excise Department.

The Programme, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, consists of 26 missions over a two-year period and comprises three components: organizational development, human resources and governance. As the Bahamas aims to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) within two years, this Programme is also intended to prepare the country for WTO accession.

At the press conference held, Dr. Mikuriya expressed his confidence that the Programme would improve the business environment based on the solid professionalism of Bahamas Customs officers, as previously demonstrated during the WCO IT Conference hosted in Freeport, Grand Bahama in 2015.

The Secretary General shared his wish to make the Bahamas a showcase for the Caribbean, one of the regions he had prioritized for the WCO’s Capacity Building Strategy.

Dr. Moss explained that the objective of this strategic partnership with the WCO is to bring the skills of her Customs staff up to global standards, with a view to contributing to trade facilitation and moving forward with a Single Window environment.

Secretary General Mikuriya had an opportunity to observe Customs operations following cargo clearance and valuation at wharfs and at the airport. He hoped that Bahamas Customs could enhance its risk management approach by leveraging the best practices offered by the WCO.