AKIPRESS.COM - An OSCE-supported regional forum side event at the VIII Astana Economic Forum on developing a partnership between customs officials and the business community began today in Astana.

The two-day event is co-organised by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana with the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance, the World Customs Organization and the German Federal Enterprise on Co-operation (GIZ). It brought together over 130 leading international experts and high-ranking officials from the sphere of customs agencies as well as representatives of international organizations and foreign and local businesses. During the forum, participants will focus on the importance of interaction between the business sector and customs agencies by analysing the experience of co-operation as presented by national and international experts, inter alia, speakers from Moldova and the United Kingdom supported by the Programme Office who will share good practices.

“The government agencies’ activities should be maximally transparent with due account for international standards and aimed at improving public services and the elimination of administrative barriers for the further development of the overall investment climate in the country,” said Finance Minister Bakhyt Sultanov. “Today's forum is a logical continuation of this work and a further reflection of trust between Customs Service and the business community."

Deputy Co-ordinator of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Alexey Stukalo, said: “Transparency of customs regulations, wider use of Information and Communications Technologies, regular audits, the adoption and implementation of a code of conduct can decrease the risks of corruption, promote integrity and ethical values in the sphere of customs and make cross-border procedures friendlier for the business sector. These measures shall be combined with sound human resource management, motivation of staff and building customs-private sector partnerships through programmes such as Authorized Economic Operator / Trusted Trader."

The event is part of the Office’s joint activities to promote trade facilitation and good governance in Kazakhstan and the wider region.