Customs officials across Pacific to work together amid CoViD-19 [1]
Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - 17:53. Updated on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 - 17:57.
Most of the Revenue and Customs administrations around the Pacific, including Tonga, have agreed to work together to ‘ride out the CoViD-19 pandemic’ after they reported a drop in revenue this year, at the Oceania Customs Organization Secretariat (OCO) Heads Annual Conference held virtually on October 20.
Customs leaders reported their biggest revenue loss is due to the closure of borders, which has crippled tourism industries across the region.
However, other challenges to generating revenue for governments include tackling the rise of illicit drugs, contraband goods and having to crew quarantine centers.
OCO Chairman Mr Xavier Mitchell said “COVID-19 forcefully teaches us to change our course and our ways rapidly and immediately.”
“It has caused major impacts on our economies and Customs in the Pacific region; it is however still critical that we continue to facilitate trade and earn revenue that is needed now more than ever for our governments.”
Although facing similar challenges, customs leaders recognized solutions cannot be ‘one size fits all’ and decided at the meeting that collaboration with each other and with key agencies was vital.
“We need to continue to strengthen collective actions to effectively manage the regional security environment,” said Mr Mitchell.
“Not only do nations have to protect themselves from COVID-19, there are emerging threats within the Customs environment such as the trade of counterfeit goods, illicit financial flows, trafficking of people, drugs and weapons, and money laundering that require strong focus.”
The meeting was attended by 19 Heads of Customs Administrations from member Governments, or their respective nominees, from Australia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guam, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor Leste.
New Caledonia in attending represented French Polynesia and Wallis & Futuna as members, whereas American Samoa and Kiribati were not able to attend.