The Customs Directors of the MERCOSUR Member States raised the need to move forward with a coordinated approach to border control with both national and international agencies, in order to manage trade and travel flows more efficiently.
The initiative was launched last Friday (19.11.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX) at the end of a highly interactive workshop on “Coordinated Border Management”, organized by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, with the institutional support of the World Bank.
In the closing message, Ernani Checcucci, representative of the World Bank, shared a vision of the future with the MERCOSUR Customs. "This is an opportune time for them to carry out a more detailed study on coordinated border management.", He said. "Border crossing times are still measured in days and hours at the bloc's borders while in other parts of the world they can take minutes.", reiterated the official, who had already expressed it in the opening. He also said that the World Bank would support the implementation of the trade facilitation agenda.
Fausto Vieira Coutinho, Undersecretary of Customs Administration of the Federal Revenue of Brazil, invited to have a shared perspective of effectiveness and efficiency. He pointed out that in the area of MERCOSUR "Coordinated border management is a fundamental instrument for improving the integration of countries, as well as for ensuring the facilitation of trade in the region.”
The meeting assessed the aspects of Integrated Control Areas in MERCOSUR and presented recommendations to Member States and other stakeholders, aimed at ensuring the facilitation and security of cross-border movements of goods and people, based on the standards of the World Customs Organization.
The Customs authorities of Argentina (María Isabel Rodríguez, Deputy Director General of Customs Operations of the Interior), of Paraguay (Julio Manuel Fernández Frutos) and of Uruguay (Jaime Borgiani) endorsed the recommendations on coordinated border management put forward by experts during the three-day workshop.
The event highlighted the importance of the principles of coordinated border management, which brings about greater economic and social prosperity through Customs working with other government agencies and the private sector.
The meeting focused on national practices and experiences in coordinated border management; other relevant topics were also discussed, including measures to facilitate international trade such as the Authorized Economic Operator Program in MERCOSUR and Colombia, and the National Committee for Trade Facilitation. Likewise, the importance of Coordinated Border Management for the private sector was highlighted. If you wish to view the event, visit the Receita Federal website (YouTube).
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