The WCO/Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) Connect Steering Committee met in Johannesburg on 10 and 11 March 2015 to identify regional priorities and challenges and to develop a project roadmap. Consequently, the steering committee indicated that the project efforts would focus on IT Connectivity, Legislative Reform, Enforcement, Risk Management and the roll-out of a regional Preferred Trader Programme
Key outcomes for 2015 include a streamlined framework for regional information exchange, adequate legal provisions for regional information exchange, the Preferred Trader Programme and a defined framework for Regional Risk Management and Enforcement to safeguard the integrity of the Common External Tariff (CET).
In line with the WCO/Sacu Connect Project’s objectives, in the upcoming months, a draft Sacu Preferred Trader Mutual Recognition Procedure Manual will be developed, and will be finalised and published during the course of the year
Further, a debriefing workshop on the regional enforcement operation “TopLiq” will be conducted. Operation “TopLiq” aimed to combat illicit flows of tobacco and liquor products. Goals are to identify capacity building needs and operation “TopLiq” results.
The regional legal expert working group will meet to draft a regional legal framework that will enable information exchange. Furthermore activities related to the development of a Sacu IT utility block to facilitate regional connectivity will be carried out.
