Uzbekistan and JICA Discuss Development of Customs Cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Chairman of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, Akmalkhoja Mavlonov, held a meeting with Motohiro Fujimitsu, Manager of Joint Programs between the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

During his visit, Mr. Fujimitsu became acquainted with the work of the Central Customs Laboratory, the Electronic Declaration Center, and the Department of Targeting and Risk Monitoring.

In the course of bilateral talks, the parties discussed prospects for further cooperation. It was noted that the strengthening relations between Uzbekistan and Japan give new momentum to collaboration with JICA. In particular, following the meeting between the President of Uzbekistan and JICA President Akihiko Tanaka earlier this year, a new stage of partnership has begun to modernize the national customs service.

Officers of the Customs Committee have been actively participating in training-of-trainers programs on risk management and Time Release Studies (TRS) organized jointly with the Japanese Customs Service since 2009. These programs demonstrate the high potential of Uzbek customs officers and their capacity to become international-level experts. Special attention was given to training professionals in customs expertise and customs valuation.

During the meeting, it was proposed to expand the participation of Uzbek customs officers in the Career Development Program jointly implemented by WCO and the Japan Customs since 2009, which offers a 10-month internship at the WCO Secretariat.

The sides also discussed ways to improve the operations of the Central Customs Laboratory, which conducts nearly 500,000 examinations annually. The discussions focused on adopting Japanese experience, introducing new types of analyses, and preparing trainer-experts in this field.

In addition, both parties reviewed opportunities to equip border customs posts with advanced technical tools. Given the increase in cross-border trade flows, the workload at customs checkpoints continues to grow — making the application of modern technologies crucial for reducing clearance times and improving efficiency.

Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to elevate bilateral cooperation to a new strategic level and to mutually support all initiatives in this area.

The meeting was held in an open and constructive atmosphere.