CUSTOMS and postal officers from the Caribbean, met in Guyana for round table discussions aimed at helping the postal services improve working relations with Customs to meet the demand of customers, improve revenue streams and protect borders.

The occasion was the joint World Customs Organisation (WCO) Universal Postal Union (UPU) workshop where delegates from both sides discussed data exchange for smoother clearance of goods and the establishment of an agreed system of operation that will better the working relations between Customs and Post.

The one-week engagement was attended by UPU experts from North America and Europe who deliberated on the exchange of electronic data, the Customs Declaration System (CDS), Security and e-Commerce among other modern best practices. These important discussions come at a time when the GRA has commenced the implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) World.

This internet-based solution will enable the GRA to improve clearance times for cargo and strengthen revenue collection. Having already launched the Manifest Module of ASYCUDA, the GRA is moving next to pilot the Single Administrative Document (SAD) in August 2018.
At the opening ceremony on May 28, remarks were made by Minister of Public Telecommunications Hon. Cathy Hughes, GRA’s Deputy Commissioner-General Ms Hema Khan, UPU Regional Programme Coordinator Owena Beepot-Pryce, WCO Technical Officer Pashupati N. Pandey and LaPoste Americas Area Manager, Georges Benoit and Postmaster General Karen Brown.

Also in attendance were representatives from renowned postal services such as Royal Mail, Canada Post and the United States Postal Service (USPS). The UPU is an agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies. It also works with key stakeholders through Operational Readiness for e-Commerce (ORE) with the aim of improving operational efficiency of postal operators.