The Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) has 23 independent, self-governing, and territories Customs jurisdictions in the Pacific. Established in 1986, its mandate is to promote effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations in the harmonization and simplification of Customs procedures, facilitation of trade, law enforcement, and building the capacity of members in meeting the development objectives of…
Suva, Fiji, 10 March 2021 – Irma Daphney Stone is a trendsetter. She began her career as a development accountant in her home country in Tonga in 1994, a time when business graduates in the kingdom were rare. She became the first female chief executive officer of the Ministry of Revenue and Customs in 2012,…
Suva, Fiji, 10 March 2021 – When the COVID-19 crisis hit French Polynesia, it was déjà vu for Vaeari Tauira who had spent some time as a customs auditor at Roissy Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris when the pandemic enveloped France. The opportunity helped her to gather invaluable insights into the crisis, which…
Suva, Fiji, 09 March 2021 – Lieutenant Lareina Camacho is one of the 32 percent of women who work for the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Customs (CNMI) after joining in 2017. She is the special assistant to the director at the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Customs Department. This is her story. In Spanish,…
Suva, Fiji, 08 March 2021 – In 2019, the OCO held its inaugural Change Management on Gender Equality workshop, which suggested there should be gender equality in all aspects of OCO’s work program. This suggestion was endorsed at the 2020 OCO Annual Conference. In 2020, OCO member countries were encouraged to celebrate International Women’s Day…
Suva, Fiji, 04 March 2021– Oceania Customs Organisation Chairperson, Mr. Salvador Jacob says the Pacific Islands States have benefited enormously from the contribution of women in Customs administrations, who like their male counterparts, are the unsung heroines in their front lines. “On this 2021 International Day of Women, the OCO and its members pay tribute…
Suva, Fiji, February 24, 2021– More than 80 officers from 17 countries in the region begin a 10-month online training this month aimed at equipping them with skills to address daily challenges and those brought on by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The training delivered by the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies, Charles…
Suva, Fiji, February 26, 2021– OCO Head of Secretariat, Mr. Richard Brennan paid a courtesy call to Fiji Revenue and Customs Services Interim Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jonetani Vuto on Tuesday, February 23. Mr. Brennan recently returned to Fiji having been in Australia since both countries went into lockdown last year. The two heads discussed…
Suva, Fiji, January 29, 2021- The WCO, the Regional Office of Capacity Building (ROCB), JICA, Japan Customs and OCO joint Sub-Regional Master Trainer Programme (MTP) preparatory meeting held on Tuesday, January 26 has identified Customs Valuation and the Harmonised System (HS) classification as two priority areas that need capacity building for WCO Accredited Trainers in the…
Suva, Fiji, January 26, 2021– As countries emerge from the coronavirus crisis, Customs administrations in the Pacific should be commended for their tireless efforts in protecting their borders as well as ensuring that trade is continued in the region, Oceania Customs Organisation Head of Secretariat, Richard Brennan says. OCO and its 23 members join the…
