A delegation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Customs Union commenced Wednesday, September 3, 2003, an inspection visit to the customs ports and crossings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is part of the comprehensive official inspection visit to all customs ports and crossings in the GCC, which began August 30, in Saudi Arabia.
"The UAE is fully committed to ensuring that regional trade is fully facilitated through our ports and crossings. The Federal Customs Authority (FCA) is working hard to ensure full compliance with all GCC Customs Union requirements," said Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Mehairi, UAE’s FCA General Manager.
Al Mehairi noted that the visit aims to assess the actions executed by GCC Customs Union member countries in line with the necessary requirements and to ensure the successful implementation of the Union. It also will look at ways and means of further developing relations between the member countries and examine how to maximize the benefits of the members' collective experience.
The visit is a result of the recommendations made following the 60th Session of the GCC Committee for Financial and Economic Cooperation that took place last July in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The GCC delegation visited Rashid Port in Dubai today, will visit Khalid Port in Sharjah tomorrow and will conclude the trip with a visit to the Ghwaifat customs crossing point with Saudi Arabia on September 6.
This is the first visit of its kind to take place since the establishment of the GCC Customs Union that has been implemented since the beginning of this year. The visit will include land, marine and air crossing points in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Omar, Qatar and Bahrain.
The UAE Federal Customs Authority is responsible for all customs affairs in the country. It designs customs policy in cooperation with other customs departments in addition to the drafting of unified legislation that aims to organize customs operations, their supervision and implementation through the various customs bodies and related government institutions and the protection of the state from smuggling and commercial fraud in cooperation with related institutions. – (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
