Training on rules of origin for Seychelles Customs and other public authorities concluded

A series of training courses funded by the European Union (EU) on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), between the EU and five African countries, namely Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe, was delivered by the CEO of Desiderio Consultants, Mr. Danilo Desiderio, between 14th and 18th March 2022 at the headquarters of the Seychelles Customs Division of the Seychelles Revenue Commission. The EPA is key for Seychelles traders as it allows their products to be imported into the EU Market duty and quota-free, on condition that they originate from Seychelles and meet specific rules of origin.

The EPA between the EU and the five African countries was ratified by Seychelles in May 2010 and is currently undergoing a comprehensive revision process aimed at expanding its contents to other areas of cooperation. The purpose of the training was to reinforce the existing skills and competencies on the administration of controlling adherence to the rules that establish if a product can be considered as being of Seychelles origin. Participants included staff of the Customs Division of the Seychelles Revenue Commission, the Trade Division of the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade, and the Ministry of Investments, Entrepreneurship, and Industry. Topics covered during the training included the steps for implementation of a system of self-certification of origin called the Registered Exporter (REX) system that allows traders to make so-called statements on the origin on invoices or other commercial documents over the current threshold of 6,000 EURO, provided that they will be registered by Customs in a specific traders database. Similar training is currently being organized in collaboration with the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), for exporters and customs clearing agents to foster the utilization of the EPA, thus helping them to reap the benefits of the Agreement.

Read the original article on the Seychelles Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade website.