DJIBOUTI-The Secretary General of Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mrs. Roda Daher, yesterday attended the inauguration of a workshop on the implementation of the regional system of the Customs Transit Guarantee (RGTD) within Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Several officials from various departments concerned, including the Ministries of Transport, Trade and Finance, as well as all stakeholders of the regional customs transit system, took part in the opening of the workshop held at Sheraton Hotel in Djibouti. 

Led by experts of COMESA, the meeting is intended to serve as a platform for participants to exchange views on issues related to regional customs transit system, the implementation of transport facilitation instruments and trade, the improvement and modernization of infrastructure in the regional shopping area.

Two papers dealing respectively with the history, objectives and basic principles of RGTD were on the menu on the first day during which the question concerning the benefits of the customs transit system for users of Djibouti has also featured prominently .

According to the Deputy Director of Customs and Excise, Mr Abdurahman Awad Izzi, "the RGTD offers multiple benefits such as reduced warranty costs and transit, reduced the regularity of the inspection, the phase the process of acquittal, and the reduction of the loss of revenue.

"Stakeholders, beneficiaries of this system are the importers / exporters, freight forwarders, transporters, customs administration, banks and insurance companies," he adds.

The regional system of customs transit guarantee is an instrument of trade facilitation agreement with the Constitution and was adopted in Mbabane (Swaziland) in 1990 by the Member States of the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern Africa and Southern Africa (PTA) in 1994 became COMESA.

Source:ADI