Mauritius Customs Trade Facilitation Implementation

1. Mauritius Customs Trade Facilitation Implementation Sooryadev Singh PURMAH, MBA Team Leader, Customs (Trade Facilitation & Customs Cooperation) Joined Customs & Excise Dept in Feb 1972

2. Republic of Mauritius Total area: 67×46 = 2040 sq km Population: 1.3 million (est) Mono-crop economy to a diversified one: sugar, industrial manufacturing, tourism, financial services, freeport activities, ICT, sea food hub 87% of tariff lines at zero rate Island state with no natural resources

3. World Bank Doing Business 2012 Out of 183 countries: • Ease of Doing Business - 23rd • Trading Across Borders - 21st • Paying Taxes:11th

4. MRA-Customs Department • Collects 34 % state revenues • 670 customs officers • 1 Seaport and 1 International Airport • 350,000 declarations per year (total)

5. Triggers for Change: Trade Facilitation v/s Control • Limited resources in contrast with dramatic increase in volume of trade & travel • Globalization: Liberalization of governmental policies on cross-border movement of trade and resources • Technological development • Development of institutions to support and facilitate international trade • Increased global competition • Protection of society & terrorism • Public criticism

6. Objectives of Customs Trade Facilitation Programme • Attain revenue targets • Implement Government economic policies • Reduce economic distortions associated with smuggling and commercial fraud • Create a ‘level playing field’ for traders • Facilitate honest traders while targeting high risk ones • Promote transparency • Promote voluntary compliance • Ensure predictability • Reduce discretion and corruption

7. Managing Change at Mauritius Customs • WCO Customs Reform & Modernization Programme (CRMP) as from 1998 and Project Management Concept as from end of 2002 • CRMP : Orientation Meeting with policy makers →Diagnosis & Planning: Team of Facilitators - WCO, HM Customs, Revenue Canada: Data Collection, Diagnosis & Report: 3 Workshops • Project Management Concept: Team constituted & Strategic planning approach

8. Outcomes of Diagnosis Mission & Implementation Strategy • Outcomes • Vision: Towards a clean & efficient Customs • Mission: Fiscal, Economic, Protective, Business Support • Strategic plans: Based on 6 Primary Functions 2. Implementation • Steering Committee • Change Management Team (+ consultants) • Implementation Teams in 6 priority areas • Work Improvement Teams • Evaluation • Recruitment of expatriates in Oct 2006 & Feb 2009 to boost ongoing reforms

9. Major Changes Over The Years • Paradigm shift: gatekeeper to facilitator • Partnership with business • Automation - Customs Management System (CMS/EDI). • Implementation of WTO Valuation Agreement, Post Clearance Control System • Schedule of duties/SOP manuals for officers • Redeployment of staff and creation of various enforcement units • Code of ethics for officers and customer charter for stakeholders • Complaints Bureau • Tariff Information Unit • Autonomous unit for air-freighted goods • Customs Investigation and Intelligence Unit including a drug cell • Non-Intrusive Inspection Techniques (NII): Scanners • Centralized Risk Management Section

10. Other Trade Facilitation Initiatives • Single Window office for Cargo Inspection • Single Window office for Exporters • Ecertificate of origin • CARGO FAST TRACK Program - AEO project • Cargo Community System – Electronic platform for tracking & tracing of containers • Express Courier Hub Project • Integrated Tariff and Tariff Classification Rulings databases on web-site • Rules, regulations, procedures, SOP manual for stakeholders & administrative forms available on website • Intranet system for officers • Appeal Mechanism • Excise reforms

11. Requisites for Capacity Building in Customs WCO definition: ‘Developing or acquiring skills, competencies, tools, processes and resources needed to improve the capacity of the administration to carry out its allotted functions and achieve its objectives.’ • Sustained Political Will & Commitment • Leadership & Stakeholder Support • Ownership & Participation of Customs Personnel • Adequate Human and Financial Resources • Effective Human Resource Management Practices • Paradigm shift: Gatekeeper Mentality to Facilitator • Partnership with Business Community • Communication Strategy • Strategic Management Approach & Change Management Model

12. Strategiesto create a“World Class” Customs Service • Institutional • Infrastructural • Technology • Technical assistance/consultants • Apply international Customs conventions , best practices and control techniques (e.g., risk management & post-clearance controls) • Modernize Customs law and regulations • Simplify, standardize & harmonise customs procedures • Effective Human Resource Management Practices

13. WCO & WTO Trade Facilitation Instruments • HS Convention • RKC • Arusha Declaration • Customs Reform & Modernization Programme • Columbus Programme – WCO Framework of Standards • WTO Valuation Agreement • Time Release Study • WCO Data Model • Rules of origin

14. Institutional Change - 1 July 2006 Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA): revenue depts under one umbrella as a corporate body to act as agent of government: • Vision: World Class Revenue Service • Mission: Continually reform and modernize in order to achieve effectiveness and efficiency comprising with highly motivated and skilled staff. • Core Values: Integrity, Responsiveness, Fairness, Transparency, Accountability

15. MAURITIUS REVENUE AUTHORITY ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

16. Existing Offices Renovated to Improve Customer Service ‘One Stop Shop’ @ Dragon House Open Concept Offices @ IKS Building Customer Counters @ SSR Air Cargo ‘RED/GREEN’ Channel @ SSR Arrivals

17. “Single Window”Cargo Inspection Office at Port

19. AUTOMATION - CMS/EDI: Continuous enhancement since 1998 • From 22 to 5 steps, minimal physical contact officers/brokers, real time information • Electronic submission of cargo manifest, matching with customs declarations • Rates according to HS entered, automatic calculation, etc. • Risk management module: Entry Selection/Selectivity Criteria/identify risk factors - Green/Yellow/Red/Blue. • Release of goods through message to freight stations. • Transfer of FCL containers: automated transfer document. • Epayment, E certificate of origin, Valuation database, Tariff rulings, Integrated tariff, Import permit • External Users: Ministries, VAT, Port Authority, Freeport, Brokers , Freight Agents

20. Airport Nuctech X-Ray Scanners(operational since Feb 2006) Port

21. Training and Development Initiatives • Management Development , Project Management , Investigative & Control Techniques, Risk Management • Post clearance auditing • Laws & Regulations, Processes & Procedures • ICT & Integrity • Customer Care, Performance Management System

22. Staff and Stakeholder Training

23. K9 Drug Detector Dogs

26. Integrity • Internal Affairs & Internal Audit Divisions within MRA • 2006: Customs Department awarded by ICAC the Best Anti-Corruption Framework Award in the Public Service and the most improved public sector institution. • 2010: Integrity Risk Assessment conducted for whole MRA: MRA awarded Best Anti-Corruption Framework & ranked first in Management Commitment and Integrity Management

27. Projects in the pipeline • Mauritius Trade Portal based on the Single Window Concept • Paperless Customs • Internal Appeal Mechanism & Prescribed Administrative Penalties • Accounts Manager.

28. End Note • In today’s world, the only constant is change - Need for continuous improvement • For change to be sustainable - Need for trust and commitment through leadership, employee participation, communication & motivation • Comment from a change agent: ‘Customs reform is like pregnancy. It is often fun and easy to conceive, but delivery is long and painful.’