A four day engaging workshop is underway in Lilongwe where delegates from seven World Customs Organisation (WCO) member countries including Malawi will develop and enhance Standard Operating Procedures for the safe handling, storage, and transport of environmentally sensitive goods within Customs controlled areas. Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is hosting this pivotal workshop from 21 to 24 , May, 2024, in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
The primary objective of the workshop is to equip WCO members with essential skills and knowledge. The training will encompass various facets, including but not limited to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA’s), to enhance environmental protection within Customs operations.
During the opening ceremony for the workshop, Deputy Commissioner for Customs Trade facilitation, Cornelius Kakwesa, emphasized the critical role of revenue administrations in ensuring not only efficient revenue collection but also environmental protection. Kakwesa stressed the importance of controlling the movement of hazardous goods across borders to safeguard both the environment and nations as a whole.
Kakwesa urged all participants to actively engage in the workshop sessions, highlighting that the acquired skills and insights will play a pivotal role in advancing environmental protection efforts, benefiting not only individual nations but the global community at large.
The workshop is being executed with facilitators from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Basel Convention Secretariat (BCS), supported through the “Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization Programme for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Sida-WCO TFCM Programme) with generous financial backing from the Government of Sweden.
Members in attendance are from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
BY ALICE MONGORA
USD - 1751
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