The World Customs Organization (WCO) announced today that Guatemala is the First Member of the Americas and Caribbean region in benefiting from the “WCO COVID-19 Project”, an initiative funded by the Government of Japan to enhance the capacity of customs administrations in developing countries to respond efficiently to the impact of pandemics and other emergency situations based on collected best practices.
For this reason, the workshop entitled “Assist Guatemalan Customs in drafting Standard Operating Procedures for the clearance and regularization of relief items in the event of natural disasters and other disruptive events.”
At the event, a total of 150 participants They were instructed by experts from the WCO and international partner organizations to identify existing bottlenecks in the clearance of relief shipments in order to comply with current international standards.
About, Guatemalan Customs Superintendent Werner Ovalle Ramírez, highlighted the importance of the event and said: “The implementation of harmonized recommendations is essential, as it will allow us to better face future challenges.”
In that line, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, Rebeca Arias Flores, He highlighted the support of the WCO to advance the drafting of the Standard Operating Procedures of the Central American country and to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian agencies.
For its part, WCO Director of Facilitation and Compliance Pranab Kumar Das, He praised the presence of such diverse and relevant organizations, as well as the dedication of the network of experts who attended the workshop.
According to the official information, “the participants reviewed and improved existing procedures on high-priority issues, including tariff exemptions, food imports, telecommunications devices, medicines and temporary admission of disaster-related equipment.” It was clarified that “the work produced will be further analyzed during specific meetings with the WCO and international experts to prepare the final report.”
Finally, the WCO announced that this national workshop precedes a broader sub-regional event that will be organized in the November 15-17 to improve coordination among the Members of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and promote their preparation to face pandemics and other emerging events.WCO Press Release)
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