Imagine customs clearance as a highway, with risk management serving as the traffic police. Without effective oversight, smuggling and contraband can slip through, while trade efficiency suffers significantly. This is precisely the challenge facing Sudan Customs. To enhance trade facilitation in Sudan, the World Customs Organization (WCO) responded to a request from the Sudan Customs Authority (SCA) by dispatching an expert team to conduct a thorough "health check" of Sudan's customs risk management system.
This assessment forms part of a multi-year collaborative project between the WCO, UK's HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), aimed at supporting Sudan's implementation of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). From August 20-24, 2017, WCO experts visited Khartoum to evaluate Sudan Customs' risk management capabilities, organizational structure, and operational functions.
Risk Management: Sudan Customs' Achilles' Heel?
Risk management essentially represents how customs authorities identify, assess, and address potential threats with limited resources to ensure trade security while improving clearance efficiency. For Sudan Customs, this presents both opportunities and challenges.
Colonel Jamal Mohamed Abdeen, head of Sudan Customs' Risk Management Department, actively participated in the assessment with his team. They openly demonstrated achievements in implementing modern, intelligent risk management systems while acknowledging existing obstacles. The WCO team conducted field visits to key operational sites including Khartoum International Airport (the risk management pilot unit), Soba Land Port (Sudan's largest clearance facility), along with legal and IT departments.
Through extensive discussions and on-site inspections, the WCO team gained comprehensive understanding of Sudan Customs' needs. While Khartoum Airport has accumulated valuable risk identification experience as a pilot project, scaling these practices nationwide remains challenging. Soba Land Port's high cargo volume presents more risk points, requiring careful balance between efficiency and security.
WCO's Diagnostic Report: Progress and Challenges
The WCO team acknowledged Sudan Customs' advancements in risk management, noting significant progress in strategic areas that establishes foundations for nationwide implementation. Key achievements include:
- Developing risk assessment mechanisms: Initial efforts to evaluate risks across different cargo types, traders, and transport methods, with corresponding inspection measures.
- Enhancing intelligence capabilities: Improved collection and analysis of smuggling and fraud intelligence, with preliminary data analytics for high-risk targeting.
- Strengthening interagency cooperation: Better collaboration with domestic law enforcement and international customs organizations against cross-border crime.
However, the assessment identified several critical gaps:
- Insufficiently developed risk management policies
- Lack of strategic planning for long-term risk management
- Underutilization of collected intelligence data
- Inadequate trader compliance management
- Suboptimal clearance processes causing delays
- Shortage of specialized risk management personnel
WCO's Five-Point Prescription
The WCO team provided comprehensive recommendations addressing these challenges:
- Policy Framework Development: Establish comprehensive risk management policies defining principles, objectives, scope, responsibilities, and procedures.
- Strategic Planning: Formulate long-term risk management strategies with clear priorities and implementation roadmaps.
- Intelligence System Enhancement: Build efficient intelligence networks for improved data collection, analysis, and utilization.
- Compliance Management: Implement trader classification systems with enhanced oversight for high-risk entities.
- Process Optimization: Streamline clearance procedures to reduce bottlenecks and lower trade costs.
- Capacity Building: Develop specialized risk management teams through targeted training programs.
Sudan Customs' Commitment to Trade Facilitation
During the debriefing session, Deputy Commissioner Major General Mohamed Magoub expressed gratitude for the WCO's work, pledging to carefully study the recommendations and develop detailed implementation plans. "By addressing identified gaps, Sudan Customs can accelerate trade facilitation through modern risk management that effectively secures our borders while meeting government and trade community expectations," he stated.
Risk Management: The Cornerstone of Trade Facilitation
This assessment represents more than an organizational review—it offers valuable insights for developing nations seeking to balance trade security with efficiency. Effective risk management systems enable customs authorities to facilitate legitimate trade while preventing illicit activities, ultimately reducing business costs and promoting economic growth.
Other developing countries can learn from Sudan's experience, adopting successful practices while avoiding similar pitfalls. Only through such balanced approaches can genuine trade facilitation be achieved.
Future Outlook: Sudan's Trade Potential
With WCO support, Sudan Customs appears poised to develop robust risk management systems that could transform the nation into a more open and prosperous trade hub. Like aircraft requiring thorough inspections before safe flight, Sudan's trade sector may soon soar to new heights under strengthened risk management frameworks.