The World Customs Organization (WCO) launched an Integrity Diagnostic mission for the benefit of the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS). The mission will be held virtually between 13 May and 11 June 2021 and is conducted under the framework of the Trade Facilitation in Middle Income Countries (TFMICs) Programme, supported by the United Kingdom’s Prosperity Fund. This mission is facilitated by the team of integrity experts from the WCO with the support of experts from Spanish Customs and Maldives Customs.
During the high level executive kick-off meeting Mr. Beyers Theron, SARS Director Customs - Border Operations, Ports of Entry and Customs, emphasized that unquestionable integrity is part of SARS vision 2024 and that in this regard the WCO mission is critical to establish a baseline. Mr. Ricardo Treviño Chapa, WCO Deputy-Secretary General, noted that integrity is a crosscutting issue that should be part of the Customs DNA and internalized by all. The meeting gathered more than 80 SARS officers and private sector representatives, which illustrates the importance that SARS renders to integrity as a cornerstone of successful and sustainable Customs and trade facilitation reform and modernization initiatives.
The objective of this mission is to assess the current integrity situation in Customs environment in which SARS operates, identify areas and opportunities for further improvement, provide strategic and technical advice, recommendations with regard to integrity agenda as well as support SARS in implementing international trade facilitation and integrity development standards, particularly as defined by the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration on Integrity in Customs and other associated WCO instruments and tools.
For more information contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.