New platform to help boost customs-trade partnership |10 February 2014

The public and private sectors within the trading chain will now have a platform where they can discuss issues, share information and engage themselves.

This will be possible through the Seychelles Customs Business forum which was launched on Friday by the Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment Pierre Laporte in a ceremony held at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay.

Attending the launch were Seychelles Revenue Commissioner Jennifer Morel, assistant commissioner of the Customs Division Selwyn Knowles and Dhunraj Kassee from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretariat.

Mr Kassee is the programme officer capacity building (customs) in the trade, industry, finance and investment directorate.

Others included representatives of the public and private sectors, and of the steering committee set up for the forum.

The committee is chaired by Mr Knowles and its vice-chairperson is a representative of the private sector Marcus Naiken.

Speaking to Seychelles Nation, Mr Kassee said SADC secretariat has played a great role in organising the launch of the Seychelles Customs Business Forum.

“This is not an initiative on its own. We have been doing this at SADC level for other countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi,” he said.

“It is something that we are propagating in the SADC region with the aim of easing trade and enhancing the movement of goods.”

A two-day workshop was organised prior to the launch for representatives of the public and private sectors, whereby they had the chance to raise issues, priorities and challenges.

During the ceremony, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two sectors being represented by Messrs Knowles and Naiken.

Mr Kassee said the accord entails the partnership between the two sectors as to the scope of cooperation and it also makes provision for the steering committee.

A draft action plan has already been developed and will now be finalised.

“We will try to help Seychelles wherever we can, but basically the country must own the forum as it is for its betterment,” he said.

Launching the forum, Mr Laporte said the launch symbolises a momentous step by the Seychelles Revenue Commission towards formalising a customs-trade partnership.

“The platform sets the stage for building long-term collaborations and dialogue between customs and all parties in the international trade circle, for the purpose of achieving mutual benefits,” he said.

It has been proven that through dialogue, customs and business achieve beneficial outcomes that are fundamental. For customs, these benefits would be increased trade security and compliance, and as for the business community, it can boost trade facilitation measures, he added.

Mr Laporte expressed words of thanks to the SADC secretariat for their relentless support which now dates many years.

He called on all partners and businesses to join together and take ownership of this new initiative.

“Make it work for you; make it work for Seychelles,” he added.

In a short address, Mr Kassee said customs cannot act alone without taking into account the interests of its partners.

“It must further develop consultation, promote information exchange and cooperation, and reduce the barriers to the smooth flow of trade by jointly identifying the bottlenecks and offering solutions,” he said.

Mr Kassee added that at a time when Seychelles is actively engaging itself to accede to the World Trade Organisation, the World Customs Organisation’s revised Kyoto Convention, the SADC Free Trade Area and to negotiate on the Economic Partnership Agreement, this forum will act as a robust platform to discuss, share and engage each other.

Mr Knowles said the forum will serve as a platform where the two sectors will be able to make constructive decisions so as to make business easier in Seychelles.

He added that there is a need to work together so that the forum will achieve its objectives.