President of Uzbekistan receives WCO Secretary General
On September 7, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Ian Saunders, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, who is visiting Tashkent to participate in the seventh Global Canine Forum.
The sides discussed expanding practical cooperation to improve customs administration, strengthen the capacity of customs authorities, and combat customs offenses.
It was noted that, with the organization’s support, Uzbekistan has acceded to several international conventions on trade facilitation, introduced modern customs control mechanisms, and developed and adopted the Customs Service Development Strategy through 2030.
As a result of large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan’s customs sector, 94 percent of exports and 87 percent of imports are now processed under simplified procedures. Declaration processing time has been reduced to 20 minutes.
Digital solutions are being actively introduced to facilitate effective interaction between customs authorities and businesses, reduce administrative formalities, and minimize corruption risks.
Particular attention was paid to further digitalizing and harmonizing customs procedures, improving the legal and regulatory framework, as well as personnel training and professional development. The sides emphasized the importance of these efforts in the context of Uzbekistan’s preparations for accession to the World Trade Organization.
Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to jointly develop and adopt a roadmap outlining specific measures to deepen cooperation and improve customs administration.
UzA
