A National Workshop on the Harmonized System and Tariff Management was held in Luanda, Angola, from 17 to 21 February 2020. The Workshop focused on both current issues and preparation for the implementation of the 2022 edition of the HS. The Workshop was organized jointly by the WCO and the Customs Administration of Angola (AGT), with the support of the EU-WCO Programme for HS in Africa, funded by the European Union. It was facilitated by experts from both the WCO Secretariat and the Customs Administration of Brazil. It was attended by 30 officials from all regions of Angola and the Headquarters that work on tariff classification related areas.
The Workshop looked at uniformity in the interpretation and application of the HS Nomenclature and the improvement of the current classification work model. The amendments that would be brought in under HS 2022 were discussed with the participants and Angola Customs presented its Elaboration Plan for the Customs Tariff HS 2022 version. The plan includes all the steps to be taken at administrative, executive and legislative levels in order to achieve the implementation, in January 2022, of HS 2022 in the Customs tariff. Furthermore, the Workshop offered an opportunity to discuss the WCO tools and instruments to assist users of the HS in order to modernize their tariff classification work and related infrastructure.
The Deputy Commissioner General of the Angola Customs Administration, Ms. Mónica Carneiro, highlighted the importance of HS classification as one of the pillars of Customs and recognized the need of imparting the necessary knowledge to the officials that work in this area. She thanked the WCO and the European Union for working together with Angola Customs in order to strengthen this important technical area.
The participants worked in groups on the diagnostic assessment for the implementation of the Recommendation of the Customs Co‑operation Council on the improvement of tariff classification work and related infrastructure, and presented the summary of their work, including an action plan with proposals and solutions related to the modernization of classification work. The Workshop was the first activity in Angola in cooperation with the WCO within the framework of the EU-WCO Programme for HS in Africa, to further regional integration and to harmonize national models of implementation of HS amendments.
11 March 2020