The World Customs Organization (WCO) participated in the 1st AfCFTA Meeting of African Directors General/Heads of Customs Administrations, held on 17 November 2020 in Accra, Ghana.
The WCO has been working with the African Union and its Customs Directors General/Heads of Member administrations in support of the AfCFTA, which represents the hope of the Continent in terms of bringing stability and prosperity. Noting that Customs must play a critical role in realising this aspiration, the WCO secretary general emphasised the need for strong political support for investing in Customs modernisation, for developing a partnership approach with business and other government agencies, and for devoting resources to achieving a knowledgeable staff and professionalism, these being the prerequisites for Customs administrations to fulfil their tasks.
The WCO’s ongoing support to African countries in the area of HS tariff classification was covered as well as updates on other recent developments including the WCO’s response to COVID-19 which was aimed at ensuring the smooth flow of essential goods while protecting society. Priority has also been given to the rise of e-commerce and to the need for the development of digitised infrastructure and technical competence.
The AfCFTA underscored the legal mandate of the Directors General/Heads of Customs Administrations Meeting under the Agreement, and outlined the objectives as being to hold deliberations on the operationalisation of the Customs-related Annexes to the Protocol on Trade in Goods and other related provisions, as well as the activation of the working structures for the implementation of the AfCFTA, bearing in mind that trading under the Agreement will commence on 01 January 2021. Emphasis was placed on the need for tariff offers, progress on Rules of Origin, the coordination of border operations, and the operationalisation of the online system for addressing non-tariff barriers (NTBs), which were pre-conditions for effective and commercially meaningful trading.
It was stressed that the implementation of the agreement would remain a work in progress, with periodic meetings to be intensified to address any outstanding and emerging issues.
The secretary general confirmed the readiness of the AfCFTA Secretariat to support the Member States in their preparations for, and effective use of, the AfCFTA.
The Meeting went on to consider, for adoption, a number of recommendations from the First Meeting of the Committee on Trade in Goods and the Sub-committee on Trade Facilitation, Customs Cooperation and Transit. Endorsement of these recommendations would enable the establishment of Rules of Procedure and Terms of Reference for the Committee on Trade in Goods, and the operationalisation of all the AfCFTA Customs-related provisions.
Story by: Riaan de Lange