International Customs Day (ICD) is annually observed across the globe on January 26 to acknowledge the role of customs officials in managing the efficient flow and exchange of goods and services across countries. The day also commemorates the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council(now World Customs Organization) held in Brussels, Belgium in 1953.
- 26th January 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the WCO, a unique Organisation dedicated to International cooperation and the sharing of knowledge.
The theme of International Customs Day 2023 is “Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of Knowledge-sharing and Professional Pride in Customs”.
- It is the slogan announced by Dr Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO).
Purpose:
To honour the customs agencies and officials who ensure that world trade is managed as efficiently as possible.
Background:
i. Customs Day was first celebrated in 1983 by the CCC to celebrate 30 years of its first session.
- The CCC became a global organisation and was renamed the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in 1994.
ii. The 1st ever ICD was observed on 26th January 1983 in Brussels, Belgium with only 17 member nations participating.
Efforts and Dedication by WCO:
i. The WCO is dedicating 2023 to Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs.
ii. WCO Members will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts and activities in this domain.
CBIC- Custom Administration in India:
i. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) (erstwhile Central Board of Excise & Customs) is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI).
- It deals with the tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs, Central Excise duties, Central Goods & Services Tax and IGST, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Central Goods & Services Tax, IGST and Narcotics to the extent under CBIC’s purview.
ii. Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST (Goods and Services Tax) Commissionerates, and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory are among the subordinate organisations that are under the administrative control of CBIC.
Note: Customs Administration is a study of the administration of customs operations and brokerages.
About the World Customs Organisation (WCO):
Secretary -General- Kunio Mikuriya
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
Establishment- 1952
WCO now has 183 customs organisations across the globe that are in charge of managing at least 98% of global trade.
