Outline of the Project

Project Name

Project for Capacity Development of South Sudan Customs Services for Introduction of Harmonized System Code

Country

South Sudan

Project Site

South Sudan/ Juba, Uganda/Kampala, Entebbe, Gulu

Date R/D Signed

March 10, 2016

Term of Cooperation

June 22, 2016~ June 21, 2019

Counterpart

South Sudan Customs Services (SSCS), Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan

Background

The Republic of South Sudan became an independent nation on 9th July 2011. Since then, the country's economy has depended heavily on oil revenues. In 2010, it accounted for 71 percent of its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 98 percent of total revenue in 2010. In this context, importance of the role of South Sudan's Customs Service (SSCS) to increase tax revenue through its proper operations has increased. In particular, improvement in efficiency of customs procedure at borders is highly important. Being a land locked country, South Sudan depends on cross-border trade with Kenya and Uganda for large portion of its foreign trade.

Under these circumstances, JICA has been implementing a project for capacity development for SSCS since JICA dispatched an Expert to SSCS in 2011. JICA has also contributed to the development of fundamental capacity on customs administration by implementing trainings for customs officers and clearing agents in cooperation with third country experts.

Customs procedure at border offices of SSCS has not been always efficient due to the weak capacity of Customs officers and lack of training in customs administration. In addition, South Sudan was admitted to one of the member states of East African Community (EAC) in 2016, which increased the needs for the standardization of cross boarder management. However, foreign trade statistics are not available at present, making it difficult to make international comparison on trade statistics of the country.

Therefore, SSCS is in urgent need of improving its staff capacity and administrative capacity, as well as its capacity of collection and compilation of trade statistics. More specifically, the introduction of Harmonized System Code (*1) in preparation for migration to ASYCUDA system (*2) is one of the most important issues which SSCS is to deal with.

In this regard, SSCS through the government of the Republic of South Sudan requested the support to the government of Japan for the introduction of Harmonized System. The three years project started on 22 June 2016 with the arrival of JICA experts in Juba.

Due to the eruption of the fighting in and around Juba in July 2016, all JICA's experts and staffs were forced to evacuate, which made it difficult to conduct activities in Juba. However, the Project resumes its activities in Uganda in September 2016 through conducting seminars and workshops in Uganda on remote basis by inviting the beneficiaries (SSCS custom officers and Customs Clearing Agents) from South Sudan.

*1: The Annex of the HS convention is commonly known as HS Nomenclature. HS Nomenclature consists of Section, Chapter, Heading and Subheading (6 digit) to classify goods and widely used for customs procedure. 208 countries and economies apply (as of May 2016). The HS Convention is officially called "International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System", which entered into force in January, 1988 by World Custom Organization (WCO). 154 countries and economies acceded.

*2: A computerized customs management system widely applied in many developing countries, which United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) developed. Automated SYstem for CUstoms Data.

Purpose

Overall Goals: Customs administration system in accordance with international standard would be established in the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) for trade facilitation with globally

Project Purpose: Customs administration based on Harmonized System code (HS code) is introduced in the RSS

Output

1. HS code is stipulated for customs clearance system of RSS.
2. Staff in charge of customs clearance is able to impose appropriate customs tariff using HS code.
3. Clearing agents are enhanced to file appropriate customs declaration using HS code.
4. Regular reports from Customs branch offices are based on HS code.
5. Customs Officers are able to make statistical analysis based on HS code.

Project Activities

0-1	Conduct Baseline study of current customs administration by SSCS
0-2	Revise the project design based on the results of the baseline study, if necessary.

1-1	Thorough PC training actual Tariff Book will be converted to digital file.
1-2	Putting HS Code to the digitalized Tariff Book
1-3	Adding missing and new items with HS code into the digitalized Tariff Book.
1-4	Verifying the New Tariff Book comparing with the EAC countries case.
1-5	Planning the HS code introduction schedule by task team in South Sudan Customs
1-6	Implementing necessary training towards the officers corresponding to HS code.
1-7	Introducing HS code in Juba HQs tentatively
1-8	Reviewing the result of action (1-7) in order to introduce all customs offices.
1-9	Introducing the classification unit in SSCS
1-10	Conform SSCS tariff to all statistics

2-1	Implementing trainings of tax calculation by HS code for staff in Juba.
2-2	Implementing same training as"2-1" to the branch officers.
2-3	Making a guideline reflecting the HS Explanatory Notes which is the official interpretation of HS code.
2-4	Monitoring for the results of trainings.

3-1	Implement the baseline survey of the clearing agents capacity.
3-2	Planning and implementing the necessary trainings to the clearing agents

4-1	Defining the format of ordinary report from branch to HQs.
4-2	Implementing the necessary training to the branch officers corresponding.

5-1	Implementing necessary trainings to the officers corresponding classification and compiling statistics duties.
5-2	Reviewing the results of compiled statistics, taking necessary action for improvement

Inputs

Japanese Side:

1. Experts
   (1) Short-term Experts
   • Chief Advisor
   • Deputy Chief Advisor
   • HS Classification
   • Statistical Work
   • Training Planning
   • Coordinator
   (2) The third party Experts (tentative)
   • Trainers trained by the JICA EAC project.
   • Accredited trainers of World Customs Organization (WCO)
   • Experts from TradeMark East Africa (TMEA)
2. Training
   Training of Trainers
   Necessary trainings will be provided in RSS or third countries based on the framework and the PO of the project.
   
   
3. Machinery, Equipment and Facility
   (1) Machinery and Equipment
   Equipment for training
   • PCs
   • Projector
   • Printer
   • Photocopier
   (2) Other equipment used by the experts (TBD)
   
   (3) Repairing of training centre
   

South Sudan Side:

1. Counterpart
   (1) South Sudan Customs Service (SSCS) of Government of the RSS


2. Office Space and Utilities
   (1) Office Space in SSCS
   (2) Utilities


3. Budget


4. Competent officers for candidates of trainers