A SUB-regional workshop aimed at strengthening passenger controls and security is being conducted in Suva this week attended by Customs administrations, experts and other competent border control agencies.
The four-day World Customs Organisation (WCO) Sub-Regional workshop on Passenger Control began yesterday facilitated by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (Revenue and Customs) in collaboration with WCO along with Japan Customs.
A total of 16 participants from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, Mongolia, including Customs officers from Revenue and Customs will be learning about passenger control and security challenges from WCO, Australia Border Force and New Zealand Customs experts.
This workshop is part of WCO’s Asia/Pacific Security Project, which was launched in March 2017 in Bangkok.
While opening the workshop yesterday, FRCS chief executive officer Visvanath Das stressed the need to collaborate with WCO members to strengthen passenger controls and security.
“Passenger controls is a security challenge. The ideal would be one where a coordinated approach and an effective risk analysis and targeting approach is utilised thorough the use of advanced passenger information,” Mr Das said in a statement.
“But we all know that the reality on the ground is different – we all face difficulties/challenges in achieving this.
“Nevertheless, we know that a coordinated border approaches can turn these challenges into opportunities creating win-win for all parties.”
Mr Das urged all participants to learn as much as they could from the workshop and apply the same to their respective customs administrations.
Held at the WCO Regional Training Centre at Revenue and Customs Complex, the workshop will end on Thursday, August 9.
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