Tajik customs officials learn from Finnish experience in OSCE-organized study visit

A five-day study visit to Finland for senior customs and trade officials from Tajikistan ended in Helsinki on 31 May 2013. The tour gave participants first-hand experience on customs control of cargo and vehicles at Finnish border crossing points and showed how Tajikistan could improve and modernize its own customs practices, in particular when it comes to export, import and transit procedures.

The visit, which was hosted by the Finnish National Customs Board and supported by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, also familiarized the Tajik officials with Finnish standards of customs risk management and investigation techniques; electronic clearance methodologies; best practices in detecting and managing the movement of illegal goods; and import and export restrictions.

The participants visited the Finnish Customs National Risk Analysis Centre, the Customs School in Helsinki, and the Vaalimaa border crossing point on the Finnish eastern border with Russia. Particular attention was paid to strengthening the co-operation between border authorities, building trust and establishing a more effective information exchange at national level and across the borders. The Tajik officials were also introduced to some of the key provisions of the  handbook of best practices at border crossings produced by the OSCE and the UN Economic Commission for Europe, which provides a wide range of reference materials and examples of how countries can improve management of their borders and bring about a better balance between security and trade facilitation.