Rethabile Pitso
Lesotho tomorrow joins 178 other countries in commemorating International Customs Day (ICD).
The event, which is being organised by the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) in conjunction with several government departments, would be held under the theme ‘Coordinated Border Management: an inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders’.
ICD, also known as World Customs Day, is observed and celebrated on 26 January every year by all countries which are members of the World Customs Organisation (WCO)—an independent intergovernmental body established in 1952 to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of customs administration.
And in an effort to improve customs services, Lesotho established a committee constituting Heads of Border Agencies (HOBA) in 2004.
HOBA comprises officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, LRA, Lesotho Mounted Police Services, National Security Services, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
LRA Regional Manager-Southern Region Customs, Mamoswati Polisa, on Friday told the Sunday Express the “coordinated work” of the agencies continued to improve customs services, hence the theme for this year’s World Customs Day commemoration.
“The coordination of these agencies has brought better services to traders. For instance, we have organised that the inspection of traders’ goods or travellers’ possessions should be conducted simultaneously so as to save time.
“In Maputsoe, where we have introduced an automated customs system, we have advanced the way we share information on any goods presented at the border through portals which can also be accessed by SACU (Southern African Customs Union comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland),” Ms Polisa said.
She added during tomorrow’s celebrations, set for Lehakoe Recreational Centre, HOBA would recognise traders who have been compliant with customs regulations.
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