Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Director-General of Customs said this Monday that Cape Verde is committed to leading the process of modernization and digitalization of customs within the CPLP region, arguing that “technological innovation is the path to a more efficient and integrated administration.”
Osvaldo Rocha made these statements to Inforpress on the sidelines of the 39th Meeting of the Council of Directors-General of Customs of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), noting that the country will host this event for the first time, from Monday, October 13th, to October 16th.
According to him, the meeting provides an opportunity to “share experiences and project the future” of customs administrations within the context of modern, increasingly digital, integrated, and sustainable customs.
“Cape Verde has been making significant reforms. We are updating our customs information system to version 4.0 and digitizing several processes that were previously paper-based. We want to have a modern, automated customs system capable of meeting the demands of global trade,” he said.
Among the ongoing measures, Osvaldo Rocha highlighted the development of a module for managing temporary imports, the digitalization of the customs litigation registry, and the implementation of the single foreign trade window, scheduled to begin early next year.
“The single window will allow all sectors involved in foreign trade to exchange information automatically, reducing bureaucracy and processing times. This is essential to improve the country’s competitiveness and facilitate trade,” he explained.
The Director-General also emphasized that digital transformation is a “structural” process that requires the creation of solid technological foundations to ensure interoperability between institutions.
“We are creating the pillars that will support this transformation. It’s work that isn’t always visible, but it will be crucial for a more efficient, transparent, and secure administration,” he added.
The meeting brings together top customs officials from CPLP countries and the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), who is participating in Cape Verde for the first time.
In addition to digitalization, the meeting also addresses topics such as green customs, the harmonized system, customs self-declaration, classification units, the value and origin of goods, and the Revised Kyoto Convention.
For Osvaldo Rocha, the WCO’s presence is “a clear recognition” of the CPLP’s role in promoting best practices and joint solutions to address the challenges of modern customs.
“The CPLP has established itself as a space for sharing and cooperation. Many of the projects we implement today in our administrations were born from these meetings. They are moments of learning, alignment, and joint growth,” he emphasized.
The meeting concludes with the signing of the Praia Declaration, a document that will consolidate the commitments made and define new lines of cooperation between the CPLP member countries.
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