KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica has achieved over 80 percent of the provisions as it moves towards full implementation under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), through the work of the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA).
Velma Ricketts WalkerJCA Commissioner and chief executive officer, Velma Ricketts Walker, told the launch of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, that the JCA has been integral to the efforts.
She said that this has been done by leading, coordinating and supporting the modernization of systems and legislation to align with international standards.
“Through strategic alignment with the WTO and the World Customs Organization (WCO)… I am proud to say that Jamaica has progressed to sustained implementation as of December 2024, using the WCO’s Maturity model.
“This reflects our full competence in most TFA measures and our commitment to continuous improvement,” she added.
The WCO Maturity Model is a framework used to assess the developmental stages of Customs administrations in various areas, such as trade facilitation, enforcement, and leadership.
It provides a structured approach for Customs administrations to evaluate their current capabilities and identify areas for improvement, ultimately guiding them towards greater efficiency and effectiveness.
The Commissioner said that the efforts of the JCA have led to the institutionalization of the Authorised Economic Operator Programme (AEO), which now includes more than 150 registered operators as well as the operationalization of the Jamaica Single Window for Trade (JSWIFT), which now serves 13 border regulatory agencies and more than 12,000 users.
Mrs. Ricketts Walker further explained that the work of the JCA towards full implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement also involves advancing risk management and post-clearance audit frameworks aligned with the Revised Kyoto Convention.
The Revised Kyoto Convention is a World Customs Organization (WCO) agreement focused on simplifying and harmonizing customs procedures, which the JCA CEO described as “the blueprint for trade facilitation that Jamaica acceded to in 2021.
“That just shows how serious we are to ensure that we are satisfying the standards that are required to drive trade facilitation and, of course, the development of the legislative reforms, including the repeal and the replacement of the Customs Act,” Mrs. Ricketts Walker said, adding that the Act is now before Parliament to facilitate initiatives such as advanced rulings and other key provisions.
She said equally important to the process has been the JCA’s embedding of trade facilitation in its strategic and operational planning, ensuring that performance measurement, capacity-building and stakeholder engagement are not afterthoughts but, rather, core principles.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ricketts Walker says effective trade facilitation is not a task for one agency or Ministry, it is a shared responsibility that requires a multi-agency and multi-sectoral approach.
She said that the successful implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement demands sustained collaboration across the public and the private sectors.
“It demands alignment of national development priorities and the strengthening of institutional capacities, and so this is why today’s launch is significant.
“The UNCTAD empowerment program comes at a critical time as global trade grows more complex. It is imperative that the National Trade Facilitation Committees are not just compliant but competent, resilient, and impactful, and Jamaica’s journey has demonstrated that institutional transformation is possible through shared vision, consistent leadership and strategic partnerships,” Mrs. Ricketts-Walker added.
She said that at the JCA, trade facilitation is not viewed merely as a policy objective but rather as a national imperative that demands strategic operation, institutional agility and shared responsibility.
“It is against that background that we have embedded modernization and capacity-building at the heart of our mission,” the Commissioner said.
The aim of the Trade Facilitation Programme is to continue efforts to streamline trade processes in Jamaica and strengthen the country’s trade environment.
