WCO Technology and Innovation Forum 2013
2013-12-20 13:17:43WCO is providing a unique platform for Customs people from all over the world to meet and exchange good practice and experiences. The WCO Technology and Innovation Forum is one of the conferences that is an important part of this platform. This article summarizes the key areas that was presented and discussed during this years conference.
Sometimes we forget how important the WCO is for world trade and other aspects important for economic growth or national security since we are so used to having them around. But there are few other organisations that provide the same forum for international exchange of ideas within a specific government sector – have you heard of the World Prosecutors Forum or the International Inland Revenue Organisation or University Lecturer’s International? The WCO is second to UN only in size among the non-governmental organisations of the world and has a smaller focus which of course facilitates business. Customs administrations all over the world understand each other’s fundamental needs and priorities and often also the importance of talking about them and the benefits of a uniform approach.
The beautiful capital of Argentina Buenos Aires and the Argentinian Administration Federal AFIP were the hosts this year.
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| Admittedly the most memorable experience: Street tango |
In his opening speech the Secretary General Mr Mikuriya mentioned the importance of deepening regional trade as a means to increase overall world trade. He particularly mentioned the expansion of the Panama Canal as well as the Mercosur as important regional initiatives.
Since the forum was held in Latin America the participants were updated on a number of good incentives in the region. The Argentinian presentation mentioned the implementation of scanners for trucks and that they have managed to get private sector funding for some of these since the private sector also see the added value of non-intrusive inspections.
Uruguay is implementing electronic seals and surveillance and stressed on the importance of cross border cooperation for smooth processing. Their port of Montevideo and its’ regional potential can only be fully capitalised when border crossing and transit are made simple and uncomplicated.
The participants in the round table discussion “Future of Borders” further emphasised the importance of smooth movement of goods and said that transit is a “life line for Landlocked Least Developed Countries”.
The present austerity regimes implemented by many governments in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis have in many countries highlighted the need for improved clearance times and facilitated trade for encouraged economic growth. On the other hand the austere climate has made it difficult to find internal funding for modernisation projects or non-intrusive inspection technologies which has led to an increased interest in private sector funding.
There is a huge increase in small consignments air cargo due to the Internet trade. People order goods from all over the world and often they are not even aware of the fact that they are to pay duties and taxes which create confusion. There is an increase in the private - public sector information exchange that requires the regulatory agencies to further improve efficiency and also transparency. A good example of private public sector cooperation is that electronic invoices and certificates are being shared with and accepted by the customs in some countries.
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| Port of Buenos Aires |
An interesting remark on the topic of the new large 18,000 TEUs container ships was that they are driving change. Their construction started
The round table participants all agreed on the importance of information exchange. The private sector is already exchanging information electronically and the data exist. The quality needs to be improved as well as the processes since todays requirements are constantly changing. Mr Negro from the port of Buenos Aires mentioned “socialising with the private sector” as a way for the regulatory agencies to better understand how business is made. Better understanding means that Customs and others involved might be able to use already existing processes and information flows and thus actively facilitate trade and compliance. before there were any ports ready for them and even today very few ports are actually able to handle them. By building them Maersk is forcing ports and their operators including Customs to adapt and change. These giants need cranes and berths that can accommodate them but another important ingredient for successful operations are IT systems able to manage and process pre arrival information.
Did you know that between 15 to 20% of the Maersk reefers are equipped with GPS for traceability? The private sector is engaged in many areas where their work could benefit Customs. The question is are Customs fully aware of the Private Sector activities and developments and are they actively pursuing cooperation and making good use of the information already available? In many cases there is room for improvement. Private sector cooperation does not materialise overnight but requires long term commitment and formalised communication that build trust.
From a “what’s in it for me?” point of view Customs need to understand how business across borders works to be able to capitalise on the information available. And the Private Sector must see benefits arising from this cooperation – simplified processes and facilitated trade. Trade facilitation should always be seen as a “win” for Customs since it will contribute to economic development.
“Leveraging Technologies to Build Efficient, Secure, Transparent and Resilient Global Supply Chains”
The theme of this year’s forum shows that Customs are aware of their role in the supply chain. Though it might be easier to understand how technology can contribute to efficient, secure and transparent supply chain than to see the connection to resilience.
What is resilience? There has been a lot of talk lately about “robust” supply chains – what is the difference between robust and resilient?
Based on dictionary definitions ‘robust’ means ‘strong, and sturdy: constitutionally healthy’. A robust process could be expected to produce consistent results with very little variation in output which most of the time is what one would want. A robust supply chain provides predictability which is very important for trade.
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| Customs are important for supply chain resilience |
Resilience is the ‘ability of a system to return to its original (or desired) state after being disturbed’. It implies adaptability. A resilient supply chain that is disturbed by a disaster or a terrorist attack would be able to bounce back and provide services – potentially not using the exact same “robust” processes as before since the environment might have changed and the desired state is different than the original. Maybe it is impossible to transit the goods using the normal route due to flooding or a gas explosion but a resilient supply chain will then find new ways. Well, of course the supply chain will not – but those working in the supply chain will cooperate and resolve the challenges. A resilient supply chain will be able to provide services when things out of the ordinary happen.
Catastrophes know no conventions and not everything can be managed. But a resilient supply chain will adapt and find other ways forward in the after maths of earth quakes and terrorist attacks. Interestingly the supply chain is likely going to be even under more stress after such an incident since everybody will be starting to send medical supplies and support from all over the world which will add to the chaos. One example mentioned in this context was Haiti – after the earth quake the port was dysfunctional and ordinary ships could not berth and bring the much needed international support. The supply chain had to adapt and barges were brought in and used.
Air cargo companies such as DHL and TNT are the last ones to leave and the first ones to come back in areas affected by catastrophes. This implies that their supply chain resilience have been tested in many different ways. They have gained experiences that Customs and other both private and public sector entities can benefit from which further emphasises the need for continued communication and cooperation.
Customs contribution to resilience could be good and flexible ICT systems and information management. It could also be processes and legislation that are updated considering the input gained from close cooperation with the private sector. It could also be mutual recognition systems for AEO programmes and customs inspections as well as customs to customs cooperation and information exchange.
Outsourced Customs
The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service Mr Dikko Abdullahi Inde talked about the experiences they have had with pre shipment inspections (PSI). The presentation was particularly useful since it provided “lessons learned” instead of a recollection of how many scanners that have been deployed or how many transactions an IT system can handle.
Pre Shipment Inspections have been marketed as a way to improve revenue collection or a means to fight corruption especially in developing countries.
During the last 8 years such inspections in Nigeria have been carried out by private sector companies (Cotecna, Global Scan and SGS Nigeria). These companies have been contracted to provide scanning services, risk management techniques and electronic platforms at various ports in the country. The companies were also to build, equip, train and eventually transfer the technology and expertise accumulated by them to the officers of the Nigerian Customs Service. (Build Operate Transfer BOT)
The extent of pre shipment inspection varies according to national legislation but could include identification of the goods to verify that it is in accordance with the declaration, customs classification, verification of the contract price, making sure the commodity is not subject to import regulations, etc.
Any customs officer would identify the above tasks and say “But hey - that is Customs work!” and be perfectly right. These controls are often what would normally be described as customs core business.
Outsourcing core customs services could easily be considered a good idea when a country and/or its Customs Administration are young or developing. Skills and capacities for managing an efficient revenue collection might be lacking and expensive technology such as scanners or IT systems are involved. What if someone else can build, operate, train the officers to use them and finally transfer the whole thing to Customs?
Many countries have as Nigeria learned the hard way that it is very difficult to formulate a contract that actually brings the blessings of this formula to the administration(s) concerned. Private companies are interested in profit and securing a Pre Shipment Inspection scheme might be likened to getting your hands on a goose that lay golden eggs. The profit margins are very good when the Build and in particular Operate part of the contract is implemented and the interest of actually transferring skills and later the operations to the Customs often quickly diminish.
In the early days some service providers were actually convicted of giving bribes to get a highly coveted PSI contract.
Another challenge that needs to be addressed related to outsourcing customs core business is related to national security and the vulnerability of national data since the service providers might host data bases abroad.
The WCO has advised that rather than using this concept, which adds no value to trade governments should focus on capacity building for Customs officers. If a country has outsourced PSI the WCO encourages Customs administrations to ensure that such contracts have a knowledge transfer and training component built into them, and that Customs has a strategy to terminate existing contracts at the earliest opportunity, once officials have the necessary capacity to conduct Customs controls – including valuation controls – without external assistance[1].
Another important aspect is the need for a government vehicle or function that is dedicated to the supervision of the contract in order to remain in control of the services rendered and so as not to end up at the mercy of the service provider.
Mr Comptroller-General was very outspoken on the Nigerian experiences and even said the last five years had been “wasted”. The officers of the Nigerian Customs Service are from the 1st of December 2013 taking over the inspections from the service providers. Customs core business is being reclaimed!
Below are some links on the topic.
http://www.hec.ca/iea/seminaires/100428_dequiedt_vianney.pdf
http://star.worldbank.org/corruption-cases/node/18731
http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/book/10.1596/1813-9450-3156
Technology and Innovation
At the WCO Technology and Innovation Forum no brand new and revolutionary technical gadgets were introduced. But new aspects of how technology can be optimized were highlighted. The majority of this input came from the private sector which further emphasizes the need for continued communication and cooperation between private sector and customs.
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| Innovative tablet use by Dutch Customs |
Traceability is becoming increasingly more important for private sector which is something that of course can be used for customs purposes too. Smart and secure trade lanes and AEO programs all benefit from existing private sector initiatives that facilitate overall control and information exchange as well as cross border cooperation. The air cargo carriers are often at the forefront since their operational environment is already highly regulated for security reasons.
Track and trace solutions can give a company valuable economic information about average journey times, what hours of the day that are best for which kind of transports or which vehicles/containers that actually are used (and if some are redundant). If you are working for the Customs you can probably easily see that some of this information could be valuable for your agency too.
Innovation is however not only about technologies, as someone wisely pointed out. This is particularly true for government agencies that today often are facing economic austerity. Innovation is also about compliance and understanding your processes and regulations. New ways of seeing old things or reviewing business processes for optimized outputs could be very effective and less expensive means of meeting future challenges than procurement of new technology.
Innovation at times demands new things of old systems. One presentation mentioned the challenges related to information exchange. Today many customs agencies are used to having x-ray pictures and cargo information about trucks and consignments available at a click. As with our personal life this is normally not an issue if you only have and need to keep track of a few pictures but as the amount of information grow so does the challenge to organize your processes and your system.
A somewhat depressing but general rule regarding information analysis is that we spend 80 per cent of our time trying to find what we are looking for and only 20 per cent on actual analysis. This implies that a good system for storing and organizing pictures and the related information is important. It will not only lessen frustration but also make it possible to allocate brain power to be spent on actual analysis.
Some countries have implemented a centralized approach to image interpretation where the officers looking at the x-ray images are located miles away from the physical scanning site. This requires innovation when it comes to data transfer since everything must happen in real time which has had to be solved creatively by the manufacturers in cooperation with the Customs.
Innovation can as one x-ray manufacturer said, be looking at things from different angles. Instead of just assigning one team of experts to look into a specific challenge they chose to let two teams – one with physicists and another one comprised of members with a background in computer science – work on it. Such an approach could be applied in many different contexts. The Dutch Customs did something similar when they assigned a number of officers an iPad and asked them to find ways and applications for how tablets could be used in customs work which has sparked innovation.
The WCO introduced its Cargo Targeting System that enables risk assessment and targeting of import, export and transhipments cargo. The system begins with containers and will then take on air cargo. The system is available to all 179 WCO member states.
The CTS is a standardised web based tool that is the same in every country it is deployed which is a great advantage when it comes to international cooperation and information exchange. The system has been piloted in Jamaica and Bahamas.
It is developed according to the principle “Keep it Simple” and focussed on the basic requirements for risk management. It can gather information from manifests /bill of lading data, store the data, perform automated and manual querying, risk assessment and targeting of manifest data and then it can identify high risk containers which will make it possible for Customs to focus resources accordingly. CTS has a standardised data model and operates with manifest data (CUSCAR). It has been developed in collaboration with the shipping industry to ensure that the right data flows at the right time to the right countries and of course the format is supported by the major shipping lines.
The Cargo Targeting System is basic without any fancy add-ons and is likely to become a very useful and much needed tool in many countries.
Here is the link to the agenda and presentations: http://www.etouches.com/ehome/ti2013/ppts/?&&eb=96452
2017-12-02 13:24:40KGH proposes new Border Solution post-Brexit
Lars Karlsson, President KGH Border Services and MD KGH Global Consulting, presented his report ”SmartBorders 2.0” to the European Parliament on Tuesday 28 November. It was the EP Constitutional Committee that had commissioneed the academic research report from Karlsson and KGH. The report outlines a possible border solution between EU and UK post Brexit.
2017-12-02 13:09:33KGH Border Services is the best Border Management Consultancy 2017
KGH Border Services has been awarded as Best Border Management Consultancy Partner Global 2017 by CFI. “We are constantly growing our business and 2017 has been our best year ever. We are extremely pleased that our partners and clients appreciate our services and delivery” says Lars Karlsson, president of KGH Border Services and MD KGH Global Consulting.
2016-12-13 13:31:12The UAEO Program – a modern AEO program
The UAE AEO Program (UAEO) was launched on October 16, 2016, by Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The program has been developed by KGH Border Services in close collaboration with Dubai Customs and UAE Federal Customs, and it will be implemented throughout the United Arab Emirates.
2016-10-21 10:31:17KGH - We build the Future
We are an international Border Consultant. We are experts on border efficiency. We know what works. We have done it before.
2016-10-13 17:21:21KGH Border Services at the Swedish Customs-Trade Symposium
Today, The Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprise and Swedish Customs arranged the annual Customs-Trade Symposium in Stockholm. Lars Karlsson, KGH Border Services, presented Customs trends under the theme "Back to the Future".
2016-09-26 20:26:41European Union Customs Code
The new Customs Code UCC is gradually implemented from 1 May 2016 to reach full capacity by the end of 2020. The Customs Union is a foundation of the European Union and is one of the essential ingredients of the single market. A single market requires a common application of common rules at the external borders and that means that all 28 Customs Administrations of the 500 million inhabitants of EU must act as one. As we all can agree this is a major challenge.
2016-09-26 20:11:42Trusted Trade Lanes – Improved Supply Chain Visibility
Traders are interested in predictability as well as supply chain security and so is perhaps not surprisingly, also border agencies but maybe not for the same reasons. For trade delays and security issues have can have a direct negative economic impact. For Customs delays and supply chain unpredictability complicates planning and resource management which also has negative economic consequences.
2016-09-26 20:07:31Standardisation for Non-Intrusive Inspection
During the WCO Technology and Innovation Forum last October in Rotterdam, the WCO on the initiative of its member states and in particular the Netherlands Customs, are now pushing standardisation in order to improve the use of scanned images of trucks and containers. System integration or "single window environments" that enable Customs Administrations to manage the images and other information stored at the point of scanning, is important since many administrations now are deploying equipment from different manufacturers.
2016-09-26 20:04:01A new generation of AEO goes operational
We are now starting to see a new modern generation of holistic AEO programmes, combining the elements of Trusted Trader schemes and Authorised Economic Operator concepts into one single very powerful model.
2016-09-26 19:56:54UAE AEO to be officially launched in October
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is presently developing and implementing a State-of-the-Art AEO programme called UAE AEO. It is the Federal Customs Authority of UAE that coordinates the programme as a national AEO model.
2016-09-26 19:49:44Successful ATT Opening!
On July 1st the new Australian Trusted Trader (ATT) programme went live and was opened for “express of interest” (applications) from companies. During the first hours of opening more than 160 companies expressed an interest to join the programme. A very successful start for the new concept!
2016-04-29 09:54:37AEO Brazil presentation at SwedCham
Excellent magazine Nordic Light from SwedCham published an article about Lars Karlsson making speech about AEO Brazil at SwedCham Brazil in Sao Paulo last month.
2016-04-29 08:13:59Sad loss for KGH, Africa and the World of Customs
Earlier this week we received the sad news that our colleague and friend Dr. Chriticles Pandeli Mwansa had deseased. Chriticles Mwansa was an ordinary Senior Member of the KGH International Advisory Board since 2012.
2016-03-13 13:10:20Dubai Customs AEO Program in the press
Last week Dubai Customs and KGH Border Services delivered presentations on AEO in general and the Dubai AEO program in specific during a Trade Compliance Conference in Dubai. The conference was covered by the press.
2015-09-05 08:07:49KGH & AEO - our home
KGH is designing, developing and supporting implementation of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and Trusted Trader (TT) together with Governments, Customs Administrations and companies all around the world.
2015-08-25 17:25:08KGH gets contract to support Dubai Customs with AEO
KGH Border Services has been awarded a contract to support Dubai Customs in the design, development and implementation of a state-of-the-art Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme and Mutual Recognitions Agreement(MRA) model.
2015-07-29 10:19:09Trade Compliance - The Movie!
On May 19th, KGH Border Services together with ICI.BR organized the event the year, the Trade Compliance 2015 conference at WTC in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This is the movie from the event. A full house with 200 Brazilian and multinational companies participated.
2015-03-25 08:19:42Australian Trusted Trader Programme in the news
The February-March 2015 issue of AirCargo Asia-Pacific talks about the Trusted Trader Programme currently being developed by Australian Customs and Border Protection Services in collaboration with KGH Border Services.
2014-12-15 13:58:28The New KGH Movie
KGH has developed a new film about our company to demonstrate our wide range of services for clients in Government and the private sector. Please don't miss it. You can watch it here.
2014-12-15 13:50:45EU-China seminar on Customs Professional Training and Capacity Building
In late October KGH Border Services President Lars Karlsson, was invited as one of the international speakers at an EU-China seminar at Shanghai Customs College. Mr. Karlsson presented his view of training and capacity building, and KGH:s advanced training solutions for Governments and the private sector that we are offering to clients all around the world.
2014-12-12 10:12:27Trade Facilitation in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is working on improving trade facilitation and investment climate through the introduction of an Electronic Single Window (ESW). KGH has provided technical assistance and international expertise in this effort.
2014-12-12 09:44:27AEO in Brazil has been launched
KGH Border Services is together with Allianca PROCOMEX and the Federation of Brazil Industry (CNI) supporting the design, development and implementation of the Brazil Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme called @eo.br. The programme was officially launched on December 10.
2014-12-04 13:52:09KGH won the Australian Trusted Trader/AEO contract
KGH Border Services has in on an open tender and in fierce competition won a multi-year contract to support Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) in designing, developing , building and implementing the Australian Trusted Trader/AEO programme.
2014-10-15 15:26:03KGH Border Services at the GTDW2014 in Dubai
This month Lars Karlsson, President KGH Border Services, is moderator and speaker at the Global Trade Development Week 2014 in Dubai. More than 700 high-level participants have registered for the event.
2014-10-10 10:59:46KGH Business Report
The KGH Business Report 2013 is released. Read it here. Enjoy!
2014-09-01 09:31:35KGH at Copacabana
The development of the Brazil AEO programme and AEO MRA model continues. KGH Border Services is together with Procomex supporting Receita Federal in developing and implementing the programme in this huge country, from Brasilia to Santos, from Sao Paulo to Rio.
2014-08-08 08:35:16Lars Karlsson on AEO in Brazil
KGH Border Services is contracted by PROCOMEX to support Receita Federal, Brazil Customs, in the development and implementation of an Authorised Economic Operator Programme (AEO) and later to develop a model for AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA).
2014-06-19 14:17:00The fastest border in the world
This is Svinesund, the fastest and most modern border crossing in the world. The border between Sweden and Norway is where we developed and implemented Single Window and One-Stop-Shop.
2014-06-19 14:14:39aoe.br - The Brazil AEO programme
KGH Border Services work with Procomex in supporting Receita Federal (Brazil Customs) in the development of the AEO programme. During the 10 year celebration of Procomex, Under Secretary Dr. Ernani Checcucci, Director General of Brazil Customs, announced the new name of the Brazil AEO programme to be launched later this year at a busoness conference in Sao Paulo on 26 May 2014. More than 300 companies participated.
2014-06-19 14:09:08INCU Conference in Baku
On the 21-23 of May the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) held its Inaugural Conference “Trade Facilitation Post-Bali: Putting Policy into Practice” in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan. The conference was jointly organised by the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) and the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan and hosted by the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
2014-06-19 13:49:30KGH in Uruguay
KGH Border Servces has been rewarded a contract to develop the next steps of the Uruguay AEO programme and a national model for AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA). At a start-up meeting in Montevideo, President Lars Karlsson and his team, met with the top Management of Uruguay Customs and the Uruguay AEO team to discuss the planning of the project and the way forward.
2014-05-18 07:40:25New strategies for Border Services
This week KGH Border Service Management Team met for a two days strategic work-shop at Bjärsjölagård Castle in the heart of Scania, in the South of Sweden.
2014-04-24 10:03:58A Customs conference not to miss
Don’t miss the conference of the year. On the 21-23 May 2014, the International Network of Customs Universities holds its inaugural conference in Baku.
2014-04-24 09:32:19KGH Border Services in Uruguay
Lars Karlsson, President of KGH Border Services, was in the beginning of April invited by the organizers to do a Key Note Speech about Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) and Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) at a Pathway to Prosperity Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay.
2014-04-24 09:10:38KGH Border Services develops WTO TF Package
It has never been easier to estimate a country's own situation and the cost and time for implementation of any gaps, in relation to the new WTO trade facilitation agenda that was included in the Bali December agreement. In cooperation with several key people, KGH Border Services have developed an implementation model for WTO Bali TF package.
2014-04-24 09:05:16An AEO-programme for Receita Federal - Brazil Customs
Receita Federal, Brazil Customs is in the process of developing and implementing a new programme for Authorized Economic Operators. The programme is in a first stage of implementation and has just moved into a pilot phase.
2014-03-25 09:29:58KGH Border Services in Brazil
Together with our Brazilian partner Procomex, KGH Border Services supports Receita Federal (Customs) with the development and implementation of a state-of-the-art Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme in line with international standards for Brazil.
Last week the programme, after an interactive workshop with Receita Federal and Private Sector, moved to the next phase, a pilot of the 1st part of the AEO programme.
2014-01-26 13:15:04International Customs Day 2014
KGH Border Services wants to congratulate all Customs officers, colleagues, friends and partners in the Customs community on the occasion of International Customs Day 2014, 26 January 2014. Every Day, 365 days a year 24/7, Customs officers protects our borders, keeps us safe and supports our economies through revenue collection, facilitated trade and Customs processes. We owe you our gratitude and respect. This is your day and we wish you the best.
2013-12-20 13:17:43WCO Technology and Innovation Forum 2013
WCO is providing a unique platform for Customs people from all over the world to meet and exchange good practice and experiences. The WCO Technology and Innovation Forum is one of the conferences that is an important part of this platform. This article summarizes the key areas that was presented and discussed during this years conference.
2013-12-20 09:29:21KGH Border Services International Advisory Board Meeting
In early December 2013, the International Advisory Board of KGH Border Services met for two days in Stockholm to discuss trends in customs, borders and trade – and to develop strategies for the company making it possible to plan the next strategic steps towards excellence in the following years.
2013-12-17 20:22:50Sweden is setting up a Customs training institute for Africa in Arusha
At the first day of the WTO high-level meeting on Bali recently, Swedish Trade Minister Dr. Ewa Björling, who personally provided great support for the WCO Columbus capacity building programme, announced that Swedish Government will establish a Customs trade facilitation institute in Tanzania.
2013-12-10 16:49:00KGH and Corporate Social Responsibility
At the end of last year KGH Group submitted its’ first Communication on Progress report to the UN Global Compact. Now, a year later we have reaffirmed our commitment to the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the ten principles of the UN.
2013-11-26 14:13:26KGH Border Services signs agreement with Macedonian Customs
At a ceremony and press conference in Skopje, KGH Border Services President Lars Karlsson signed a cooperation agreement with Director Vanco Kargov, Head of Macedonia Customs. The contract is a partnership agreement including services of advice for senior management and capacity building support for reform and modernization in a range of different areas.
2013-11-26 13:38:51KGH signs new contract with Azerbaijan
KGH Border Services signed today, Monday 25th November 2013, a new subcontract with Goverment and the State Customs Committee of the Rebublic of Azerbaijan - under the overall multi-year Risk Management modernization programme.
2013-11-25 15:30:52KGH Border Services in Mongolia
KGH Border Services is partaking in a Border Management Assessment Mission in Mongolia. The objective is to comprehensively look at the most immediate and mid-term capacity-development needs and requirements in the field of border management in Mongolia. Today Mongolia is 181 out of 189 countries on the World Bank Doing Business ranking of “Trading Across Borders” and subsequently has a need for border management modernisation.
2013-10-02 08:25:14KGH Group - The Movie
The KGH Group is a Swedish international Customs and Borders expert company. We facilitate international trade. Our mission is to be the best. What others call difficult - we say it is what we do best. When others say it is impossible, we say – nothing is impossible.
2013-09-26 19:03:04KGH Customs AB to be acquired by Bridgepoint Development Capital
Bridgepoint Development Capital has entered into an agreement with the private equity funds Procuritas Capital Investors and minority shareholders to acquire the KGH Group/KGH Customs AB, the leading independent provider of customs services in Europe.
2013-09-23 09:27:25KGH Border Services goes radio
KGH Border Services is a company using modern technology solutions and social media both in our own work and in the models and services we offer our customers. KGH Border Services is available on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and we use social media actively in our projects as well. Now we taka the next step and expand our information flow to also include podcast radio. You can through our website, click here, download our podcast episodes to your computer, iPad, smartphone or other devices.
2013-09-11 09:20:01KGH Border Services develop Trade Portal and National Single Window for Nepal
A primary expertise and service of KGH Border Services is to develop and deliver state-of-the-art Single Window solutions. Sweden implemented the first ever Single Window, still considered to be one of the most advanced Single Windows in the world, and we were part of that process. Since then we have been involved in numerous other Single Window projects all around the world. The latest project is in Nepal.
2013-05-25 10:56:08Is there a holy grail for Customs ICT?
Every now and then Customs and Border Management administrations come to a point where their IT architecture needs significant changes for different reasons. This introduces a lot of challenges when deciding the direction and investments needed when it comes to ICT. The key question often boils down to: which ICT solution is the best and most cost efficient for our needs and how should the transformation be done?
2013-05-22 23:29:01Freedom of Transit
Generally speaking a coastal country is likely to have a GDP that is significantly higher than the landlocked neighbour. This the reason why transit regimes and access to the sea and trade routes are so important.
2013-05-16 22:12:16New book! When Elephants Fly - Customs Leadership and Management for a Globalized World
Lars Karlsson, President of KGH Border Services and former Director of Capacity Building of the World Customs Organization and Director of Swedish Customs, has previously written the book “The Stairway, Management of an Authorised Secure Supply Chain. Capacity Building for a Customs Environment in a Changing World” about how to successfully develop and implement an AEO concept.