Inbolsa, Guabirá, Unagro, San Cristóbal and PIL aim high. Bolivia and Uruguay will sign a memorandum of understanding. Santa Cruz hosting customs directors.
HILTON HEREDIA GARCÍA
hheredia@eldeber.com.bo
04/19/2016
The Guabirá and Unagro sugar mills in Santa Cruz, Minera San Cristóbal in Potosí, and the dairy processing plant PIL in Cochabamba will be certified as Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) by the National Customs Agency of Bolivia (ANB, in Spanish). With this certification, they can improve their international competitiveness and reduce their shipment times and costs. That is to say, they will become part of the foreign trade top, becoming safe and reliable agents.
This announcement was made yesterday by ANB president Marlene Ardaya on the occasion of the 19th Regional Conference of Directors General of Customs Agencies of Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held in the Güembé meeting room at the Camino Real hotel. The executive president underscored that these companies were subject to a thorough review in terms of their compliance with customs and tax–related obligations, organization, administration, financial statements, minimum security standards, etc.
With this international certification, the companies will receive customized services so that they could export their products within the scheduled times and so that this process would not be hindered by other types of physical and documentary controls. Nevertheless, the Customs Agency can still perform physical controls.
The institution had already granted the first AEO certification to Industria Boliviana de Sacos (Inbolsa), a company that manufactures and exports woven polypropylene bags. Company manager Pedro Riveros underscored the significance of this certification.
That is to say, five companies in Bolivia will now join the global foreign trade top.
At present, there are more than 500 companies with AEO certification in the region.
A memorandum of understanding for a pilot plan to enter or exit through the Paraguay-Parana Waterway will be signed today between the customs offices of Uruguay and Bolivia.
Carlos Rojas, president of the Guabirá Sugar Mill, pointed out that sugar exports will be expedited. “It is a green channel to export to any country”, asserted Rojas.
WCO commends customs work
Kunio Mikuriya (Japan), WCO Secretary General, praised the progress made in the modernization of the Customs Agency, the AEO mechanism, the transparency mechanisms, the fight against contraband, etc.
“We can see that the Customs Agency of Bolivia has made significant progress. Other countries of the region can benefit from this experience and its efforts in terms of human resources and the fight against fraud. Bolivia has had good customs practices and is enjoying political stability”, emphasized Mikuriya.
The international organization has 48 members that meet annually to examine issues related to customs and border management.