APEC Customs Group to Develop Action Plan to Address Corruption ThreatThe APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures plans to develop collective actions by the end of next year to address the threat of corrupt practices in customs administrations, the Royal Customs and Excise Department of Brunei said Sunday.The threat of corrupt practices arising from lack of transparency and complex procedures means that the integrity of customs officers is becoming increasingly important, the Brunei Chair of the Committee said in a statement. "In addition to developing plans to improve the integrity of our customs administrations, we set a milestone this year by including paperless trading as a new work area for collective action. Our aim is to simplify customs clearance and reduce the need for paper documents," it said. In 2000, about half of the Sub-Committee's collective action plans have been completed, which now cover 13 areas. According to the Brunei Chair, among collective actions being completed this year are APEC programs to adopt the principles of two World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements on standard procedures for valuing goods and border enforcement procedures to protect intellectual property-rights. Other collective actions being completed this year include the introduction of clear appeals provisions and an advance classification ruling system, it said. Self-assessments are to be completed early next year followed by action plans based on the minimum standards contained in the Arusha Declaration adopted by the Brussels-based World Customs Organization at a meeting of its Customs Cooperation Council in Tanzania in 1993. APEC customs administrations are being encouraged to develop their own codes of conduct, it said. The challenge of implementing the collective work program is to simplify the operating environment, it said, adding simplified operations reduce compliance and transaction costs for business while helping members fulfill their policy objectives including customs enforcement to protect their communities. The Chair said during the year, Brunei placed high priority on continuity and building on the valuable work already underway to reach APEC's ultimate goal of free and open trade and investment in the region by 2010 for developed economies and for 2020 for developing economies. The Sub-Committee will hold the next meeting in China early next year. The Sub-Committee was set up in 1994 to help facilitate trade by simplifying and harmonizing customs procedures. |
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