Manama: The State of Qatar has participated in the 18th meeting of the Customs Union Authority of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held in Bahrain.
Chairman of the General Authority of Customs and President of the Executive Council of the Customs Union Authority, HE Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal, has represented Qatar at the meeting.
The meeting has discussed a number of matters related to strengthening and advancing joint GCC customs cooperation, foremost among them the decisions of the 125th meeting of the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee concerning the implementation steps required to complete the establishment of the Customs Union.
Discussions also have addressed ongoing efforts related to transit and customs clearance procedures in light of current developments, reviewed reports submitted by technical committees and teams, and followed up on the implementation of the Executive Council's decisions.
The meeting has also reviewed progress on projects included in the Authority's strategic plan, particularly the project to develop and operate a customs data exchange platform among GCC member states, along with a number of related technology projects. Updates on the Authority's operational activities have also been reviewed.
These periodic meetings form part of ongoing efforts to advance GCC customs integration and strengthen coordination and cooperation among customs authorities and administrations across the member states. They contribute to harmonizing customs procedures, enhancing mechanisms for joint action, facilitating the smooth flow of intra-GCC trade, and improving the efficiency of the GCC customs system in support of the member states' shared objectives.
