World Bank to support Customs Control Committee transformation
28 Nov '07
3 min read
However, the customs development agenda remains large. According to the latest World Bank report “Connecting to Compete” which measures effectiveness of trade logistics in various countries, Kazakhstan is on the 139th place out of 150 countries in the area of customs effectiveness.
The project, with an overall value of USD 62 million, is co-financed by the Government of Kazakhstan in the amount of USD 43.5 million, and has three main components.
• The first component will support institutional development of the Customs Control Committee, including enhancement of the overall organizational structure, design of the training programs, introduction of a merit-based human resource management system and an effective anti-corruption framework, and implementation of a solid cost-based financial management system to regulate and monitor the cost of customs services – the latter is a requirement for WTO accession.
• The second component will: finance activities to align existing legislation with best international practices; introduce integrated tariffs; support the implementation of faster cargo control and declaration processing regime; strengthen law enforcement functions; and improve interaction and collaboration of customs officials with other border control agencies both within Kazakhstan and with neighboring countries. In addition, a comprehensive review and rationalization of all import, export, and transit procedures and documentation acrossgovernment agencies will be conducted.
• The third component will finance development of the Information and Communications Technology system based on proven technologies used in modern customs administration and customized for Kazakhstan's conditions.
Project implementation and the achievement of project objectives will be overseen by a Project Steering Committee which will be chaired by the Minister of Finance, and will include key stakeholders, both in the private sector and related government agencies.
The World Bank loan supporting this Project has a maturity of 15 years, including a five-year grace period.
Kazakhstan joined the World Bank in 1992. Since then, commitments to the country total more than USD 2 billion for 30 projects.
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