President of Uzbekistan receives WCO Secretary General

On September 7, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Ian Saunders, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, who is visiting Tashkent to participate in the seventh Global Canine Forum.

The sides discussed further expanding practical cooperation in improving customs administration, strengthening the capacity of customs authorities, and combating customs offenses.

They noted that, with the organization’s support, Uzbekistan has acceded to a number of international conventions on trade facilitation, introduced modern customs control mechanisms, and developed and adopted the Customs Service Development Strategy through 2030.

As a result of large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan’s customs sector, 94 percent of exports and 87 percent of imports are now processed under simplified procedures. Declaration processing time has been reduced to 20 minutes.

Digital solutions are being actively introduced to facilitate effective interaction between customs authorities and businesses, reduce administrative formalities, and minimize corruption risks.

Particular attention was given to further digitalizing and harmonizing customs procedures, improving the legal and regulatory framework, as well as personnel training and professional development. The sides emphasized the importance of these efforts in the context of Uzbekistan’s preparations for accession to the World Trade Organization.

Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to jointly develop and adopt a roadmap outlining specific measures to further deepen cooperation and improve customs administration.