The Commissioner General of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Yankuba Darboe expressed total appreciation and efforts done by the Government of the Gambia in ensuring that the Gambia acceded to the revised Kyoto Convention.
He disclosed that the Gambia Government has now acceded to the Revised Kyoto Convention which he described as a good development for the Gambia.
The Commissioner General made this disclosure shortly after he returned from attending a WCO council meeting in Brussels.
The RKC was introduced in the 1970s – a key international instrument on simple and harmonized customs produces, adopted by the council in May 1973 and entered into force on 25th September 1974. Adopted by the council in Kyoto, Japan 1973) while in 1994 had only 62 contracting parties.
According to CG Darboe, the protocol of Amendment was adopted by the council in June 1999 in Brussels. The blue print for modern, efficient, and effective customs procedures in the 21st century. He said currently a total of 133 contracting Parties to RKC as of June 2022.
Mr. Darboe reiterate the importance attached to RKC and said the revised Kyoto Convention RKC is an international agreement that provides assets of comprehensive customs procedures to facilitate legitimate international trade while effecting customs contracts including the protection of customs revenue and society. it deals with key principles of simplified and harmonized customs procedures, such as predictability, transparency, due process, maximum use of information technology, and modern customs techniques, (e.g.) risk management pre-arrival information, and post–clearance audit .)He said RKC was adopted in 1999 and entered into force in February 2006. As of February 2010, the RKC had a total of 66 contracting Parties and the WCO estimates that the RKC contracting Parties cover at least 70 percent of the value of globally traded foods,
According to Mr. Darboe, the WCO has encouraged its members to accede to the EKC, believing that more benefits would accrue as a result of early RKC implementation by more economies in a coordinated way (Swedish National Board of Trade, 2008). Therefore, he said it has been widely recognized that a paper should be developed on the benefits of the RKC as a means of facilitating the national accession processes of non-contracting Parties.
He further stated that the arguments on RKC benefits are referred to in many documents produced by the WCO and other organizations, including the WCO leaflet (WCO) 2002), the APEC Guidebook to the RKC APEC, 2003 ), and a booklet on the RKC by Jordan customs Younis, 2006).
In addition, the benefits of the simplified and harmonized customs procedures embodied by the RKC have been well documented in the context of trade facilitation in particular in the ongoing WTO negotiations on trade facilitation Swedish National Board of Trade, 200. He said furthermore many customs reform and modernization programs have been designed to introduce modern customs procedures in accordance with the RKC (IMF, 2003, World Bank, 2005). It has been recognized on many occasions that there are considerable benefits to be derived from RKC accession as well as implementation.
Mr. Darboe further disclosed that now the Government of the Republic of the Gambia having considered the instrument of accession Revised Kyoto Convention –International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs procedures thereby formally accedes to the said Convention, accepts all the specific Annexes and Chapters thereto and undertakes to perform and carry out faithfully the stipulation therein contained.
Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General GRA also cited Article 3 of the Protocol of Amendment to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Protocols (the protocol) provides that any contracting Party which has not signed the revised Kyoto Convention may accede to it by depositing an instrument of Accession with the Depository. But going forward, this instrument of Accession is signed and sealed by the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation of the Republic of the Gambia. Mr. Darboe stated.
Gambian delegation in Brussels attending the World Customs Organization Council Meeting from 21st to 25th June 2023.
The Gambian delegation comprises Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe, Mr, Essa Jallow deputy commissioner General and head of domestic taxes, Alhagie K MbyeCommissioner of customs and excise, Sarja Camara Director of Finance and Accounting, Alhagie Saihou Denton former director of finance and Accounting GRA, Kemo SonkoDeputy Commissioner of customs, technical services, The Gambian Ambassador of Kingdom of Belgium Mr. Musa Jobarteh.
The delegation was headed by the Commissioner General of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) Yankuba Darboe. The high-level WCO council meeting that took place from 21st to 25th June 2023 in Brussels was attended by 185 member countries. At the end of the WCO Council meeting, Lan Saunders an American was elected the new World Customs Organization WCO Secretary General replacing the former SG who term ended.