Kuwait approved as regional customs training center
CAIRO: World Customs Organization (WCO) and Kuwait signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing the organization’s Regional Training Center in Kuwait, as a certified customs training body. The memorandum was signed by WCO Secretary General Dr Kunio Mikuriya and Director General of Kuwait General Administration of Customs Advisor Jamal Jalawi, after the 51st meeting of the Directors General of Customs for North of Africa, Near and Middle East (MENA) regions, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. Mikuriya hailed the efforts of Kuwait customs in supporting the work of WCO. WCO’s deputy director general Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa said he was pleased with attending the memorandum’s signing, adding that the training center is an addition to the organization’s presence in the region. Meanwhile, Jalawi congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Kuwaiti people on choosing Kuwait as a regional training center.
In the meantime, Khalifa yesterday underlined necessity of commitment of authorities in the sector to combat coronavirus that has mushroomed on a wide scale worldwide. The Regional Representative for North of Africa, Near and Middle East (MENA) region and Vice President of the World Customs Organization Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa stressed commitment to make all efforts to fight novel coronavirus (COVID-19), expressing hope that “the crisis will pass in peace.” This came in a statement on the sidelines of presiding over the 51st meeting of the general managers of customs for North Africa, the Near and Middle East.
Khalifa, who is President of Bahrain Customs department, said customs officials are “in front lines .. in cooperation with representatives of ministries of health and passports and other concerned agencies to deal with passenger movement.” Precautionary measures have also been taken to protect “our countries from this virus,” he added. Plans were exchanged to confront coronavirus between member countries of the World Customs Organization through diplomatic channels, as work teams were formed in the customs ports to establish inspection areas for travelers in addition to isolation areas for positive cases, he said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary-General, Head of the Economic Affairs Sector of the Arab League, Ambassador Kamal Ali, said there are massive and “exceptional political and economic developments in the region,” as the meeting constituted an opportunity to formulate Arab and regional positions towards these issues. The Arab League has prepared an agreement for customs’ cooperation among Arab countries and signed by four Arab countries so far. Three more countries were expected to ink it, he said.
The meeting addresses ways to develop customs’ tasks in North Africa region, Far and Near East and work to build capacities for customs’ workers, as well as building risk departments through the security dimension as well as exchanging information, setting up electronic systems and linking information between customs and taxes. Secretary General of the World Customs Organization Kunio Mikuriya and Director of the Department of Economic Integration at the Arab League Dr Bahjat Abu Al-Nasr took part in the meeting. Kuwait participated in the session with a delegation headed by Director-General of Kuwait General Administration of Customs Jamal AlJalawi.