The presidency of the CI omitted the Central American Customs Office, in charge of Guatemala, reflected last Thursday (10.11.2022) on the encouraging efforts achieved in terms of trade facilitation, which are "the result of the vwill, cooperation and coordination" of the General Directors of Customs of the Region.
At an event, Werner Ovalle, SAT Customs Superintendent, referred to three areas of action of customs: Trade Facilitation, Control and Capacity Building. And he highlighted the scopes obtained on such axes.
Trade Facilitation
- implementation of the Central American Single Declaration (DUCA): the only format approved by the three DUCA modalities.
- Strengthening of the OEA (Authorized Economic Operator) in the region: there are 151 OAS At the Central American level (Honduras 6, El Salvador 8, Costa Rica 26, Panama 28 and Guatemala 83). There is an increase in the confidence of the private sector
- Regional Dispatch Time Study: first global study of 6 countries at 13 border posts with support from the WCO and SIECA.
- Revised Kyoto Convention: Guatemala Customs has adopted it (10/06/2022) Costa Rica Customs presented it to Congress, while Customs of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama are preparing the Gap Study to take the step of ratifying the maximum instrument of trade facilitation from the customs point of view.
- Deep Adhesion Processes between Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
- Advance Declaration: Guatemala – Honduras (01/03/2022), Guatemala – El Salvador (24-08-2022) and Guatemala – Costa Rica (negotiation)
- Main efforts to implement the theme of the Minimis for urgent non-commercial shipments.
Control
- Benefits of Regional Customs Risk Strategy It was adapted in 2019.
- Regional Intelligence Liaison Office RILO based in Guatemala
- Regional Operations to combat customs fraud and smuggling
- Creation of Regional Modernization Groupl under the vision of the General Directors of Customs and the guidelines of the WCO technical instruments, to address and standardize technologies at borders.
Capacity Building
- Accredited regional experts before the WCO: the region has 7 Accredited experts in trade facilitation (Costa Rica 1, Guatemala 3, Honduras 1 and Panama 2)
- Subscription in a cross-sectional manner of the Declaration of Ethics and Transparency of Customs Administrations to promote a healthy ecosystem in foreign trade in the region.
Despite the encouraging results, the head of the Central American Customs Committee noted that it is necessary to intensify the application of facilitation measures, such as the following steps:
- Update regional customs regulations (CAUCA-RECAUCA).
- Strengthen National Trade Facilitation Committees.
- Update the Central American Trade Facilitation Strategy.
- Obtain support and cooperation for customs control with a regional vision.
The panel was held within the framework of the “Trade facilitation: the activation route” event Organized by the World Bank and SIECA, the event also featured Mona Haddad, Director of Trade, Investment and Competitiveness in the Equitable Growth Practice Group, Finance and Institutions (EFI) Vice Presidency, World Bank, and Geraldine Guth, Executive Director of SIECA.
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