SUVA, Fiji – 1 December 2025 – The Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) Secretariat says sharing knowledge between Pacific countries delivers real benefits after a successful four-day visit where Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency officials learned from Palau’s digital Customs transformation journey.
The program held from 18-21 November 2025, organised by the OCO Secretariat with Palau’s Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, shows how island nations can help each other solve similar problems. The study visit was funded through OCO’s Guam Modernisation Project and directly supports OCO’s strategic priorities of Customs Leadership and Institutional Strengthening of Small Member Administrations.
The Study Visit delegation included government officials from Guam with representatives from Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Guam Legislature including a Senator, the Office of Technology, the Department of Revenue and Taxation and the Bureau of Statistics and Plans. The multi-agency approach for this Study Visit highlighted the importance of a whole-of-government support for Customs reforms.
“The feedback from the Guam delegation was positive. They were particularly interested in how Palau handled the transition from manual processes and managed stakeholder trainings and expectations during the changeover. These are practical concerns every administration faces,” said Laisa Naivalurua, OCO Operations Manager.
The study visit achieved its key objectives, including helping the participants from Guam understand how automated cargo clearance procedures can enhance the role of Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency at the border. Delegates also learned about the strategic frameworks and governance models behind a successful Customs digitalisation project and visited the operational areas of Palau Customs and Border Protection Bureau.
These visits help Pacific countries in several ways. Officials can see working systems and understand the level of commitment required at home as well as identify key business processes that need to re-engineered. They learn what problems to avoid and how to solve them. Most importantly, they gain confidence that modernisation can work in small island nations.
“We see real value in connecting administrations that have similar operating environments and constraints. With the OCO Secretariat’s capacity-building efforts for our members, we don’t want to just tick boxes, we are committed to developing technical assistance programs that are fit-for-purpose and catalytic,” Ms Naivalurua said. “We also want to encourage our people to share their achievements and challenges so that these exchanges are Pacific-led and Pacific-focused.”
These visits also create lasting friendships between Customs officials across the region. Long after the visit ends, people can call their contacts in other countries for advice when they face problems.
This was the third time Palau hosted such a visit, after welcoming officials from the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands. Each visit creates a network of countries helping each other, making the whole region stronger.
Through the Automated Systems for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) World supported by UNCTAD, launched in January 2024, Palau now processes all Customs forms, cargo lists, payments and approvals online. This makes trade faster and more transparent while improving security. The system has significantly reduced manual paperwork, expedited processing times, and improved transparency in trade transactions. Palau has continued to innovate, recently introducing online payment options that allow users to clear goods completely online.
Upon the Guam delegation returning home, the legislation to mandate the adoption of ASYCUDA as the official customs management system for Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency was introduced. This is the first step in the right direction for Guam’s digital Customs transformation journey.
ENDS