Secretary General of the World Customs Organization Kunio Mikuria met with the staff of the State Revenue Committee
SRC MF RK, October 6, 2021
In the period from October 4-6, 2021, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, Kunio Mikuria, paid a visit to Kazakhstan. As part of the visit, an international official visited the customs post of the airport inTurkestan, customs infrastructure facilities and the Shymkent customs clearance center, got acquainted with the process of customs operations at the Continental Logistics transport and logistics center and with the conditions for the development of foreign economic activity in the region.
The head of the WCO also visited the modernized checkpoint named after B.Konysbayev on the border with Uzbekistan, got acquainted with its activities and mechanisms of control by state bodies at the border, which are maximally automated to facilitate trade and accelerate border crossing. He noted that the model of the construction of the Nur Zholy checkpoint, which he visited in 2019, and the upgraded checkpoint "B.Konysbayev" can serve as a real example and a model of best practice for the countries of Central Asia and other WCO member countries.
Kunio Mikuria stressed the importance of ensuring the smooth movement of goods and vehicles and maintaining international trade, especially in the context of the global pandemic and the period of recovery of the national economies of the region. The Head of the WCO gave a positive assessment of the ongoing reforms in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as specific measures in the tax and customs spheres taken to support small and medium-sized businesses during the acute pandemic crisis, both at the level of the Republic of Kazakhstan and at the level of the EAEU. At the same time, the SRC and the WCO recognized the importance of providing assistance at the border by customs and other government agencies not only to emergency relief goods, but also to the entire category of goods in general, in order to help minimize the overall impact of the pandemic on the global economy and society.
On October 6, 2021, the Head of the WCO arrived on a visit to Nur-Sultan, where he met with the Head of State, the Prime Minister and the Management of the Ministry of Finance and the State Revenue Committee.
The Secretary General noted that Kazakhstan has achieved a high level of digitalization of export-import operations through the implementation of the Astana-1 and Single Window customs clearance information systems. Digitalization is an important vector for the development of foreign economic activity, as it significantly reduces trade costs. The SRC and the WCO agreed to strengthen cooperation in this direction.
The Secretary General also held a separate meeting with the staff of the State Revenue Committee and young employees joining the customs sphere. He paid special attention to the issues of human resource management, the principles of meritocracy and gender equality in customs.
The World Customs Organization was established in 1952 as the Customs Cooperation Council of its first 17 European member countries. Today, the WCO is an international organization that unites 183 customs administrations of countries around the world, processing 98% of world trade. Representing the global Customs Expertise Center, the WCO is the only international structure with competence in customs matters and representing the international customs community. The strategic mission of the WCO is to provide guidance and support to its members in matters of simplifying international trade, increasing the collection of state revenues, as well as ensuring the safety and protection of society and citizens.
Since June 1992, Kazakhstan has been a member of the WCO and since then has been actively participating in the work of this organization, including as part of its governing bodies – the Finance Committee, the Political Commission and the Customs Cooperation Council.