WTO to assist Albania’s customs administration

TIRANA, April 20 – The World Customs Organization (WTO) says it will assist the Albanian customs administration draft a strategic development plan and offer assistance. The declaration came from the Secretary General of the World Customs Kunio Mikuriya who visited Albania this week to observe the Albanian customs system and problems businesses face.
THE WTO official met the director general of Albanian customs Flamur Gjymishka and other senior customs officials. He suggested that the introduction of simplified customs procedures for authorized economic operators.
The latest European Commission report says that Albania has put in place a range of bilateral agreements on customs cooperation and needs to implement these effectively. It needs to start preparing for ratification and implementation of the Convention on mutual assistance and cooperation between the Member States (Naples II) and the Convention on the use of information technology for customs purposes (CIS). The technical and administrative capacity of customs services needs to be further enhanced, and their investigative powers used more proactively, in order that they can carry out effective operations to counter organized crime.