(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)     Representatives of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States have further developed guidelines for improvements in customs procedures; the goal of which is to boost the Region’s
Five days of discussions on regulations for a harmonized regional customs framework were held, this week in Antigua and Barbuda, at a forum which brought together customs officials, legal experts and CARICOM representatives. 
This was the penultimate meeting to finalise the harmonised customs laws, which will be put forward for the approval of relevant CARICOM bodies and then adopted for implementation by each Member State. The final meeting will take place in Trinidad and Tobago at the end of March 2015.
The regulations, the basis for customs procedures, cover all areas of customs policy management. The proposed regulations are expected to bring about increased predictability, significantly reducing hindrances and frustrations to both Regional and international traders.
CARICOM Director of External Trade, Mr. David Hales, posited that the application of this legislation “will be of benefit to other aspects of the CSME such as the movement of persons, the movement of capital and right of establishment; all of which can stimulate production integration.”  
Amendments to the first draft of customs regulations was a key objective of the meeting. It was noted that despite the tendency of customs officers to draw on their established ways of operating in their respective countries, they consistently gave way to best practices uncovered in the course of deliberations, hence realizing the particular objective.
Given the level of cooperation demonstrated, it is anticipated that consensus and sign-off on the harmonised customs bill in its entirety will be secured one month from now, by the close of the Trinidad and Tobago meeting. The move toward customs harmonisation represents a critical stride in fulfilling the mandate of Regional economic integration articulated in Article 95, Treaty of Chaguaramas.
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Notes for Editors:

CARICOM: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a regional organisation of 15 Caribbean countries and five Associate Members whose main objectives are the promotion of economic integration, the cooperation among its member States, the assurance that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and the coordination of foreign policy.

BizClim: The ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim) is a program of the ACP Secretariat financed by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). It aims at fostering a business enabling environment in ACP countries and regions by improving legislation, institutional frameworks and financial measures relating to the enabling environment of the private sector.

Links:
Workshop website: www.caricom-customs.com
CARICOM: www.caricom.org
BizClim: www.bizclim.org

Press contact:

Ardene Sirjoo
ICWE GmbH
Ardene.Sirjoo@icwe.net

This project is funded by the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union nor that of the ACP Secretariat.