Coordinated border management to come under the spotlight on Customs Day

23rd January 2015

By: Riaan de Lange

  

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January 26 is International Customs Day, which celebrates the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council – the present-day World Customs Organization (WCO) – which took place on January 26, 1953. The WCO will use the day to dedicate 2015 to the promotion of coordinated border management (CBM) under the slogan ‘Coordinated Border Management – An inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders’.

According to the WCO, CBM refers to a coordinated approach by border control agencies, both domestic and international, in the context of seeking greater efficiencies over managing trade and travel flows, while maintaining a balance with compliance requirements. While other organisations refer to the concept by using the term ‘integrated’ or ‘collaborative’ border management, the WCO prefers CBM, as it believes that the term gives prominence to the principle of coordination of policies, programmes and delivery outcomes, while avoiding any perception of favouring a single solution.

Stefan Aniszewski believes that CBM repre- sents an approach to managing borders that involves public service agencies working across portfolio boundaries in a coordinated manner to achieve a shared goal, thus providing a cohesive government response to the challenges of border management. Its objective is to facilitate trade and the clearance of travellers, while ensuring secure borders.

According to Mariya Polner, CBM is about describing how improved regulatory efficiency and effectiveness can be realised through greater coordination between border agencies during policy development and operational activities, both domestically and internationally.

However, CBM is but one initiative, the other two closely associated with it being ‘one-stop border posts’ and ‘single-window systems’, but these are topics for another column.

In the past, the credo or motto of customs agencies was ‘Collect, protect and facilitate’, but, arguably, this has now been refined to ‘Trade facilitation, revenue (duties, taxes and levies) and security (trade)’. This means balancing trade facilitation, on the one hand, with trade security, on the other, by allowing legitimate goods and travellers to pass through borders without unnecessary hindrances, while protecting the international trade supply chain from the threats posed by organised crime, smugglers, commercial fraudsters, terrorists, and even goods that could endanger people.

According to the WCO, CBM is now recognised by the customs community as a potential solution for the challenges that the twenty-first century presents, especially with respect to efficient and effective border management. Its importance resulted in the concept being included in the WCO council’s strategic policy on customs in the twenty-first century, which was adopted in June 2008. CBM is listed as one of the ten key building blocks for managing borders in today’s environment. A coordinated approach by border control agencies is at the heart of the CBM concept, in the context of seeking greater efficiencies in managing trade and travel flows, while maintaining a balance with security requirements. The term gives prominence to the general principle of coordination of policies, programmes and delivery among cross-border regulatory agencies rather than favouring any single solution.

Should you wish to learn more about CBM, there are many publications that could be consulted, such as Aniszewski’s ‘Coordinated Border Management: A concept paper’ (a WCO research paper), Polner’s ‘Coordinated Border Management: From Theory to Practice’ (published in the World Customs Journal), and the Southern African Development Community’s Draft Guideline on the Coordinated Border Management – August 2011.

International Customs Day
On January 26, WCO members will have the opportunity, in Brussels, Belgium, to promote the enhanced coordination practices and mechanisms that they have implemented in their administrations and with other customs administrations and government agencies, as well as with economic operators involved in cross-border trade.

WCO secretary-general Kunio Mikuriya states: “It behoves all border agencies to work together for the common good despite varying regulatory mandates. With this in mind, the WCO and customs administrations have long supported the notion of CBM, which aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the multiple public- service functions undertaken at borders. Over the course of 2015, I invite all WCO members to promote and share information on their domestic and international coordination efforts with other border entities, including economic operators involved in cross-border trade.”

Coated Zinc Tariff
On December 19, a notice of the proposed increase in the ‘general’ rate of customs duty on zinc coated/galvanised steel, aluminium-zinc coated steel and paint coated steel from free of customs duty to 10% ad valorem was published. The application was lodged by the Southern Africa Coil Coaters Association, which includes ArcelorMittal South Africa and Safal Steel.

Comment is due by January 23.

Lithium Battery Tariff
On December 19, a notice of the proposed reduction in the ‘general’ rate of customs duty on other, cylindrical (excluding those of a height not exceeding 7 mm), of a diameter exceeding 19 mm from 10% ad valorem to free of customs duty was published. The application was lodged by N&Z Instrumentation & Control.

Comment is due by January 23.

WCO, ICC Strengthen Business Relationship
John Danilovich, who became secretary- general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) six months ago, visited the WCO headquarters on January 6 to meet with the WCO’s Mikuriya. He was accompanied by the ICC Customs and Trade Facilitation Commission chairperson, Norman Schenk. Both parties acknowledged the excellent relationship between the two organisations. They discussed a range of topics of common interest, including customs-business partnership, the implementation of the WTO agreement on trade facilitation and technology and tax issues. They agreed to strengthen their partnership in support of customs modernisation as a core means of enhancing the supply chain and economic competitiveness.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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