First CAREC Trade Facilitation Learning Opportunity

National focal points, customs officials, and representatives of border management agencies from CAREC countries joined a study tour that highlighted Georgia’s trade facilitation reforms and showed the benefits of replicating them.

Georgian officials discussed customs institutional reforms, border management strategy, and other measures to integrate trade facilitation, while participants presented similar reforms by their own governments.

Participants in the “CAREC Learning Opportunity: Integrated Trade Facilitation ‘At The Border’ and ‘Behind the Border’: Reforms and Implementation” observed reforms in action at the Batumi Seaport and Customs Clearance Zone, and at the Sarpi Customs Border Crossing Point, where they saw how technology enables transparent and efficient customs procedures, minimizing the time required for goods to cross between Georgia and Turkey.

Discussions highlighted the importance of using technology to modernize customs and of improving transparency and integrity in customs procedures.

The study tour was organized by the CAREC Institute and the CAREC Secretariat and co-sponsored by the ADB Institute. Speakers came from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, United Nations Development Programme, Border Management Programme in Central Asia, and World Customs Organization.