Uzbekistan, WCO Agree on New Customs Administration Roadmap

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretary General Ian Saunders on 7 September, with the sides agreeing to jointly develop a roadmap for further improving customs administration.

Saunders is in Tashkent to participate in the seventh Global Canine Forum.

The meeting focused on expanding practical cooperation in customs administration, strengthening the capacity of customs authorities and combating violations.

It was noted that with the support of the WCO, Uzbekistan has joined a number of international conventions aimed at facilitating trade. The country has also introduced modern customs control mechanisms and adopted a Customs Service Development Strategy through 2030.

The reforms have enabled a significant share of foreign trade shipments to be processed under simplified procedures. Currently, 94% of exports and 87% of imports are cleared through the simplified system. The time required to process customs declarations has been reduced to 20 minutes.

The digitalization of customs processes remains a key priority. Uzbekistan is introducing solutions to facilitate more effective interaction between customs authorities and businesses while reducing administrative procedures and corruption risks.

The talks also focused on further digitalization and harmonization of customs procedures, improvement of the regulatory framework, and training and professional development of specialists.

The sides emphasized the importance of these areas as Uzbekistan prepares to join the World Trade Organization.

Following the meeting, Uzbekistan and the WCO agreed to develop and adopt a joint roadmap. The document will set out specific measures to deepen cooperation and further improve customs administration.