80th Session of Policy Commission Meeting of WCO concludes in Mumbai

80th Session of Policy Commission Meeting of WCO held in Mumbai: Details, Agenda, Highlights

The 80th Session of Policy Commission of World Customs Organization (WCO) held in Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. It is a three-day event scheduled to be held from 3rd December 2018 to 6th December 2018.

The 80th Session of Policy Commission of WCO is being organised by WCO and hosted by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), under Union Finance Minister.

The 80th Session of Policy Commission of WCO was inaugurated by Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, and was attended by 102 delegates from 33 nations.

The Indian delegation was headed by Chairman, CBIC, Shri S. Ramesh, along with Member (Customs), Shri P K Das and senior officers.

The main objective of the WCO meeting was to discuss various matters related to customs. The key discussion was on issues related trade facilitation, controlling illicit financial flow, performance measurement, challenges of small island economies.

World Customs Organisation (WCO)

WCO is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.

WCO was established in 1952 as Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. More than 180 countries are its members including India.

WCO aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of member customs administrations and assist them to contribute successfully to national development goals, particularly revenue collection, national security, trade facilitation, community protection, and collection of trade statistics.

India is a member of WCO since 1971 and has been participating actively in its various activities. It is part of Asia Pacific region having 33 countries, one of 6 regions. From 1st July 2018, India has taken over as the Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific region for two years.