29 November 2024 – Next week Cape Town will become the centre for global customs and trade facilitation discussions when South Africa hosts the WCO Policy Commission meetings in the city over 3-days from 3 to 5 December. SARS Commissioner Kieswetter as the WCO Council Chairperson will oversee the proceedings.
The WCO, originally established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council, includes 186 Customs administrations that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the preeminent international organisation tasked with enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations worldwide, the WCO plays a critical role in ensuring that global Customs operations are efficient, transparent and secure. The WCO does this by providing leadership, guidance and support to Customs administrations through the development of international standards, fostering international cooperation and building capacity to facilitate legitimate trade, to secure fair revenue collection and protect society.
South Africa has been an active member of the WCO since joining in 1964 and currently forms part of the management team of the WCO East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region, one of the WCO’s 6 Regional Bodies, and SARS hosts one of the WCO ESA’s Regional Training Centre focusing on Organisational Development. South Africa was instrumental in the establishment of the WCO Capacity Building Directorate and has been a key participant in discussions at the WCO on various issues including Customs in the 21st Century Policy Paper (a blueprint for Customs in the future); Globally Networked Customs and the development of the SAFE Framework of Standards.
More than 20 years after first hosting it, next week will be the second time for South Africa to host the Policy Commission. The hosting of the 91st Session comes at a critical time as the global trade landscape evolves with the rise in digital trade, growing sustainability demands and calls for the modernisation of Customs systems increases. Effective and efficient customs administration and trade facilitation are key to minimising trade barriers such as tariffs, regulatory delays and inefficiencies. By enhancing supply chain resilience, they ensure that goods and services move efficiently and securely across borders. As a result, modernising customs administration practices reduce transaction costs, boost global competitiveness, and promote sustainable business growth.
The meeting also comes at a time when South Africa assumes the Presidency of the G20 which will coincide with a call for greater attention to revenue mobilisation and building efficient and effective tax and customs administrations which are imperative towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. This becomes even more important considering three-quarters of the WCO members are developing countries and the Policy Commission is tasked with overseeing and guiding the WCO’s technical work that ensures that members can apply modern techniques and technologies, while improving the quality of controls in an international harmonised manner.
A key focus area proposed for the WCO’s 2025 – 2028 Strategic Plan by its members is Technology and Innovation (integrating AI, IoT, machine learning and blockchain into customs operations and processes). It is therefore fitting that South Africa hosts this prestigious meeting at a time when SARS is building a smart modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired, whilst leveraging on strategic partnerships such as its membership in the WCO.
SARS Commissioner Mr Edward Kieswetter said that “customs play a seminal role in trade facilitation not for its own sake but to extricate people from poverty, hunger and unemployment, which disproportionately affect developing countries. Accordingly, harnessing technology to ensure seamless movement of goods between borders must necessarily result in tangible impact on changing people’s life. The Policy Commission will afford us the opportunity to make that tangible impact.”
For further information, please contact SARS at [email protected].
The opening ceremony of the 91st WCO Policy Commission will be live streamed on SARSTv (YouTube).
Date: 3 December 2024
Time: 09H30 to 10H15 (CAT)
Link: https://youtube.com/live/RnhZm-7P7W0?feature=share
