With the participation of five hundred people, the IV International Congress of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) began this Wednesday (25.08.2021/XNUMX/XNUMX) in Guatemala, aimed at promoting this program, created for the security and facilitation of global trade supply chains.
Amidst the exceptional circumstances facing the world, the event is taking place over two days on a computer platform, the result of the efforts of the Association of Exporters of Guatemala (Agexport), the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CIG) and the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) so that the private sector can improve with the OEA program for the purposes of a sustained regional economic recovery.
At the opening, the SAT Superintendent, Marco Livio Diaz, invited Central America to adopt the OAS to facilitate exports and imports with the rest of the world. “To this end, the Superintendency has set two goals: first, to strengthen its processes and actions derived from the customs union; second, the facilitation of trade through the OAS figure,” explained Marco Livio. He highlighted that Guatemala has mutual recognition agreements with customs offices of other countries and “is close to signing an MRA with the United States, Central America’s main trading partner.”
In turn, the Vice President of the Guatemala Chamber of IndustryRaúl Bouscayrol listed the efforts of the productive sector so that “companies obtain quality, safety and trust standards that allow harmonious work with the customs, logistics and commercial sector.”
El Director of Argexport, Armando Carballido, reaffirmed "the commitment to make Guatemala a regional logistics hub.”
In turn, the USAID representative, Alfonso Rodriguez, He clarified that “the OAS is a program to create a strategic alliance between the public and private sectors that contributes to the facilitation of trade and the competitiveness of companies in the region.”
In this sense, the IGuatemalan Customs Superintendent and Regional Vice President of the World Customs Organization, Werner Ovalle, referred to the efforts being made in the Central American region and in his country for logistical security and trade facilitation.
Ovalle explained the World Customs Organization SAFE Framework of Standards which guides the operation of Customs to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to greatly improve its capacity to secure and facilitate global trade. “The SAFE Framework explains the degree of coordination that must exist between the actors that are part of the logistics chain,” he said.
He developed the four basic elements of the SAFE Framework in general. First, the SAFE Framework that harmonizes the advance electronic information on goods that Customs needs in incoming, outgoing and transit shipments. Secondly, the risk management to use advance information to identify high-risk shipments and address security threats. Third, the export cargo inspection, preferably using non-intrusive detection equipment. Finally, The alliance between Customs and the private sector which provides benefits to companies that meet the requirements and use best practices in the logistics chain.
Given the importance of the partnership between the business community and Customs for the operation of the SAFE Framework, Ovalle defined the Authorized Economic Operator as “the certification granted by the customs authority to a company that demonstrates to be committed throughout its supply chain, through the adoption of practices based on improvement and compliance with security requirements, which generates a series of benefits in its foreign trade operations and recognition as a safe company for both its partners and the customs authority.”
He also explained that the Americas and the Caribbean Region has 20 AEO programs, 18924 authorized economic operators and 16717 AEO-certified companies, according to IDB information as of August 2021.
In Central America there are 145 OAS (Guatemala: 64, Costa Rica: 48, Panama: 28, El Salvador: 4 and Honduras: 1).
In Guatemala, the AEO Program was created in 2010. During the first years, the incorporation into the program developed slowly due to the lack of knowledge on the part of the actors regarding the program. However, since 2017, relations with the private sector have been consolidated and strengthened. This link has allowed the program to incorporate a total of 64 Authorized Economic Operators to date.
The Regional Vice President of the WCO explained that the benefits of OAS programs They are aimed at all operators in the logistics chain, with benefits such as the ease of using simplified customs procedures and submitting brief declarations for the entry and exit of goods, and the reduction of physical and documentary controls, among others.
The mutual recognition agreements between customs are an added value of the AEO program. For the private sector, this value is manifested in access to advantages in other customs. In this regard, Werner Ovalle stated: “We are working hard to have more mutual recognition arrangements so that all actors who wish to export to countries that have AEO can receive the same benefits.”
Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic that halted normality worldwide since March 2020, Ovalle noted The role of Customs during the crisis. In this regard, he stated that “commercial activity did not stop; on the contrary, electronic and digital commerce increased.” This situation led Customs to innovate and adopt new technologies to facilitate trade without losing control of urgent goods, he said.
Security and facilitation are vital for the development of international trade. In the region, Ovalle stressed, “the proper management of the current crisis in customs and international trade depends on the commitment, coordination and communication between all the actors that are part of the logistics chain.” He clarified that the AEO presents benefits and demands commitments for improvement. “Being part of this initiative generates a status of a safe and reliable company, and also allows it to join the network of private operators that contribute to the competitiveness and economic development of the country and the Central American region."He concluded.
On the first day of the event, the conference “The importance of security in the supply chain” and the panel “The AEO as a strategic mechanism for the Central American region” were held.
Participants
Among the forum participants were: Antonio Becerril (expert in the OAS Mexico Program), Jorge Gómez (CombexIn representative), Selvin Lemus (Resident Customs Expert of the Regional Technical Assistance Center of the International Monetary Fund -CAPTAC-) and the Customs Directors of Honduras, Juan José Vides; of Guatemala, Werner Ovalle; of Costa Rica, Gerardo Bolaños; of El Salvador, Samadhy Martínez, and of Panama, Tayra Barsallo.
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