One of the most important challenges facing Central America is management at border crossings. Aware of the need to make progress on this issue, six customs offices began this Monday (5.07.2021) the second stage of the Clearance Time Study, a tool of the World Customs Organization to measure, evaluate and achieve a medium-term action plan that allows the implementation of coordinated border management in the region.
Thus, with the Support from the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), the Central American Customs Committee and the financial support from the European Union (EU), Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama launched the data collection phase of the first Dispatch Time Study at seven border posts in Central America.
Participating from Brussels, Deputy Secretary of the WCO, Ricardo Treviño, He said at the opening: “This is an example of the integration that is taking place in Central America and how a block can improve competitiveness through international trade and simplification.”
In turn, the Guatemalan Customs Superintendent and WCO Regional Vice President, Werner Ovalle, stressed that "the study will have the participation of accredited and recognized experts from the WCO, to give credibility to the data and obtain certification for the Central American region, which will become the first in Latin America and the Caribbean to carry out a study of average clearance times simultaneously and coordinated between customs administrations."
For Director of Customs of Costa Rica, Gerardo Bolaños AlvaradoThe regional initiative is essential for the construction of the next border customs posts in the north and south of the country, since technology and improved construction should have an impact on facilitating trade.
In this regard, Samathy Martínez, Director of Customs of El SalvadorHe added: “The study of clearance times will allow us to identify bottlenecks in the customs service and other border agencies, improve control and facilitate foreign trade in our countries.”
In a similar positive tone. the Director of Customs of Honduras, Juan José Vides, acknowledged that “each country will have the data to be able to analyze, reach consensus and make recommendations for the regional action plan in order to improve procedures and attract investments.”
In turn, the Director General of Customs of Panama, Tayra Barsallo, expressed his satisfaction with this initiative, in which each administration of the six countries that make up COMIECO has put its support. For the Panama Customs Authority, the data from the study will allow for changes in public policies for the better.
"It is a relevant milestone for the process of the Central American Trade Facilitation Strategy," said the Secretary General of SIECA, Melvin RedondoHe also clarified that beyond data collection, there must be a medium-term work plan that provides the Central American Customs Committee with a Roadmap to improve border management and give impetus to the process of establishing the Central American Customs Union.
Once the study is completed, the national reports from each customs administration are expected to be delivered in October in order to work on the regional action plan, which must be delivered in the first week of December 2021.
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