On 21 November the World Customs Organisation (WCO) - Sacu Connect Project Steering Committee Meeting took place. The WCO-Sacu Project is financed by Sweden and aims to support the Sacu region with the implementation of its ambitious Regional Customs Modernisation Programme, which includes four components: IT Connectivity, Trade Partnership, Risk Management and Legislative Reform.
During the meeting, the Sacu Secretariat, the Commissioner-Customs of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland, together with the WCO Secretariat, reviewed the progress of the programme in 2017 and agreed on the annual work plan for 2018. Highlights of 2017 included the finalisation of the regional IT Connectivity Blue Print, the official launch of the national Preferred Trader Programme in South Africa, as well as the conclusion of the regional enforcement operation in the textile sector “Operation Texo” that yielded the recovery of nearly U$500 000 in customs duties.
The 2018 roadmap will particularly focus on intensifying national efforts to operationalise the regional IT frameworks (regional Utility Blocks, regional UCR) developed with the support of the project as well as on fast-tracking legislative reforms and roll-out of the national and regional Preferred Trader Programme.