The WCO conducted a Workshop on Coordinated Border Management in Muscat, Oman, from 6 to 10 May, hosted by Oman Customs and supported by the Royal Oman Police (ROP).
The main objective of the Workshop was to provide cross-border regulatory agencies in Oman with a WCO perspective and with the tools to improve border management procedures, focusing on sea ports, airports and dry Customs checkpoint operations related to the release and clearance of commodities and flow of passengers. Oman Customs and ROP are the agencies responsible for implementing the “Bayan” system, the Single Window linking all the relevant agencies to enhance release and clearance. There have been tangible achievements in implementing Single Window advanced business processes, including automated release procedures.
The WCO shared experience and best practice from other countries, and supported further enhancement of the collaborative environment which needs to be taken forward for onboarding other regulatory requirements and services on the Bayan system.
The Workshop was attended by various Omani authorities, including the Royal Oman Police, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, Oman Municipality, Ministry of Health, and ASYAD, the public company responsible for logistics services and reforms in the sector. The Workshop participants highlighted its helpfulness in raising awareness of how other countries dealt with challenges, and of lessons learnt by other administrations in a similar situation regarding Single Window implementation for the cross-border environment.
Around twenty-four officials from cross-border regulatory and other agencies in Oman attended the Workshop, working together on several exercise scenarios involving information-sharing between agencies, and clearance procedures for some categories of goods.
The WCO experts presented different WCO instruments and tools on trade facilitation to provide participants with guidance on adopting a Coordinated Border Management approach and on designing further enhancements to the Single Window environment to meet private sector needs and expectations. During the Workshop, WCO experts outlined, among other concepts, Coordinated Border Management, Single Window, Risk Management, Business Process Analysis and Data Harmonization, supporting this with case studies from different countries.
In addition, the participants, supported by experts, carried out practical exercises with a view to improving and streamlining certain business processes relating to inspection procedures for specific types of HS commodities.
The WCO Workshop on Coordinated Border Management proved highly effective in engaging different stakeholders and in identifying future challenges for the enhancement of the collaborative environment.
For further information, please contact facilitation@wcoomd.org.