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The Gambia Revenue Authority has gained membership status in the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) of the World Customs Organisation.
The PTC acts under the overall direction of the WCO Council and Policy Commission, with administrative support provided by the WCO Secretariat.
The committee is also responsible for initiating technical studies (other than those pertaining to nomenclature and valuation) with the objective of enabling the Council to discharge the obligations of the Convention establishing the CCC in accordance with the general purposes of the Convention.
The GRA Commissioner of Customs, Alhagie K Mbye, said the recognition is commendable given Gambia’s size and population.
He thanked Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe for his leadership.
“This accession has now qualified The Gambia to be part of the committee, which sits twice every year to discuss important customs matters and issues relating to international trade and supply chains. The success story is that the convergence gives member countries the opportunity to get updates, have discussions, and take decisions on matters relating to international trade,” he said.
Mr Mbye, who is currently attending a WCO meeting in Brussels, said a number of emerging topics, including cross-border regulatory interconnectivity frameworks and green customs, dominated discussions among member states.
“We have discussed and agreed in principle on matters relating to customs-port cooperation, digital transit, e-commerce, and the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, amongst others,” he added.
