BUREAU of Customs commissioner, Rey Leonardo Guerrero, has been designated as ‘co-chairman’ of the ‘29TH ASEAN Meeting of Directors-General of Customs set to open this Wednesday, August 18, 2020.
The important, 2-day ‘virtual’ meeting, is to be attended by various delegates and representatives from the 10-member nation-states comprising the Southeast Asian region.
The annual meeting shall also formalize the transfer of chairmanship of the group from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Myanmar (formerly Burma).
In a statement, the BOC said this year’s meeting seeks to “accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership.”
The customs leaders are also expected to “discuss reports by the various committees and hold consultations with ASEAN dialogue partners such as China, Japan, Australia, Korea, and the World Customs Organization (WCO).
The consultations shall also include the ASEAN private sector partners such as the European-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC), United States-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC), and a consultation on the proposed ASEAN Low Value Shipment Programme (ALVSP).
The 22nd ASEAN-Japan Customs Consultation shall also be held which will also be co-chaired by Guerrero, the statement said.
Developments in ASEAN and Japan on ‘Trade and Customs-Related Matters,’ including international customs issues will be tackled along with the review on the progress of the ‘ASEAN-Japan Customs Cooperation.’