ST JOHN'S, Antigua–Representatives from Caricom Member States have further developed guidelines for improvements in customs procedures across the Caribbean, ultimately aiming to boost the region's competitiveness and its standing as an attractive option for investment and doing business.
Five days of discussion on regulations for a harmonised regional customs framework have brought together customs officials, legal experts and Caricom representatives, who have drafted legislations aligned with modern international best-practices and standards.
This was the penultimate meeting, in an effort supported by the ACP Business Climate facility (BizClim), to finalise the harmonised customs regulations, which will be put forward for approval by two Caricom bodies and then adopted for implementation by each member state. The final meeting will take place in T&T, at the end of March.
The regulations, the basis for customs procedures, cover all areas of customs policy management and are expected to bring about increased predictability, significantly reducing hindrances and frustrations to regional and international traders.
Caricom Director of External Trade, David Hales, said application of the 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."
Having achieved the key objective of the meeting–amendments to the first draft of customs regulations–another important outcome was observed.
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.