“It is a privilege for Uganda to be hosting such a high level annual continental meeting, and it speaks to the confidence the continent has in Uganda in terms of hospitality and diplomacy,” said Dicksons Kateshumbwa, who is Commissioner Customs, URA and Chairman World Customs Union (WCO) Council.
Over 50 African customs bosses and technocrats from international bodies such as World Customs Organization, UNCTAD, IGAD and various diplomats are currently in Kampala at Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo for the continental customs conference.
The conference which kicked off today will end on 20th September. Uganda is hosting Directors General and Commissioners of Customs from 55 African Union (AU) member countries.
This conference will hold discussions on matters of customs and action points from last year’s 10th meeting held in Moroni Comoros that ended with a Moroni Declaration on Combating Corruption in Customs and the adoption of the AU Draft Trade Facilitation Strategy.
In Munyonyo, the main discussion will be on implementation of the AfCFTA and the theme of the conference is “The Entry into Force of the Agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – Implications to African Customs Administrations.”
“It is a privilege for Uganda to be hosting such a high level annual continental meeting, and it speaks to the confidence the continent has in Uganda in terms of hospitality and diplomacy,” said Dicksons Kateshumbwa, who is Commissioner Customs, URA and Chairman World Customs Union (WCO) Council.
Redefining the CFO Role in Oil and Gas: How UNOC’s Emmanuel Mugagga Is Executing Strategy for National ImpactHe added that, “This meeting also comes a time when Uganda is chairing the World Customs Organization Council, whose global conference was held in Africa for the first time in Kampala last year. It is also an opportunity for Uganda to show case its abilities to the rest of the continent such as the various trade facilitation initiatives by URA customs.”
The Constitutive Act of the African Union provides for Specialized Technical Committees. These Specialized Technical Committees report are responsible to the Executive Council. The African Union Sub Committee of Directors General of Customs is responsible to the Specialized Technical Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration.
The Sub- Committee is responsible for Customs Cooperation one of the Thematic areas under the Department of Trade and Industry. The AU Subcommittee of Directors General of Customs (also referred to as Commissioners of Customs meet annually and the meeting Uganda is hosting is the 11th while the 10th Conference was held last year in Moroni, Commoros.
The new African Union Trade Observatory Dashboard is another step towards the African Continental Free Trade Area, which will help the continent harness its economic potential. It will provide the African Union, the African countries and the private sector with data and statistics that are essential for the sound monitoring of continental trade and evidence-based policy-making.
The Observatory will collect data and analyse trade across borders in Africa, addressing the current lack of up-to date-and reliable data and statistics. This information will be made available for policymakers and interested stakeholders, including economic operators. This will enable them to identify promising market opportunities and will facilitate the effective monitoring of the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation and impact once in place.
