Communications Team
The past year goes into history as one of the most challenging owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. With infections on the rise and a new strain on the horizon, businesses, governments, and educational institutions need to adapt to the dynamic environment so as to survive. In the higher education space, online learning, initially an option for convenience became the lifeline of the education sector. Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA) was no exception to this.
As one of the four World Customs Organization (WCO), Regional Training Centers for East & Southern Africa Region, capacity building to support customs operations in the region is key to KESRA. With the disruption of business operations, adaptability is the most valuable skill in the workplace for survival.
World Customs Organization Secretary-General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya emphasized WCO’s commitment to supporting customs administrations through international collaboration, capacity building assistance towards sustainable development. Speaking during a televised speech on the 4th UAE Customs Week celebration, Dr. Mikuriya said WCO’s adoption of the annual theme “Customs bolstering recovery, renewal, and resilience for a sustainable supply chain” aims at recovering from the global pandemic while supporting people and business while acquiring resilience.
In support of this theme, KESRA has provided capacity-building support for customs officials at different levels to enable business continuity and to facilitate trade in the region. To enable seamless customs operations, KESRA through its e-learning platform facilitated over 20 virtual training sessions for various stakeholders in the Customs and Trade industry. Owing to the key role technology plays in operations, a better understanding of the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) system by key stakeholders and staff was critical. This saw over 1,000 customs officials enrolled for virtual Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) training on various modules and more customs staff trained in valuation, debt enforcement, transfer pricing, and risk management. These training programs have proven to be critical in supporting compliance with customs laws and procedures while supporting the sustainability of the supply chain.
As the world marks International Customs Day to commemorate the first meeting of the WCO first held on 26th January 1953, KESRA aims at continuing to support KRA by creating a support system in terms of capacity building for staff in collaboration with the Regional Centre for Capacity Building (ROCB) to ensure they are equipped with the right knowledge and technical skills to drive compliance for revenue collection and protection of the society.