By Staff Writer
The World Customs Organization (WCO) has commenced a week-long diagnostic mission to support the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) in implementing an internationally recognized Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program, marking another significant milestone in the Authority’s customs modernization and trade facilitation agenda.
The mission is being conducted under the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Program, funded by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom. It aims to assess Liberia’s readiness to implement an AEO Program in line with international standards.
This initiative supports Customs administrations in implementing Article 7.7 of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which focuses on trade facilitation measures for Authorized Operators, through practical, sustainable, and internationally recognized reforms.
Speaking at the start of the training in Monrovia, LRA Commissioner of Customs, Saa Saamoi reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening customs modernization and enhancing trade facilitation through strategic partnerships with the WCO and other international partners.
He noted that the mission builds on the longstanding partnership between the LRA and the WCO, which recently supported Liberia’s successful completion and launch of its second National Time Release Study of Liberia under the same program.
“This mission represents another major step toward aligning Liberia’s Customs administration with international best practices, while creating a more predictable and efficient trading environment for compliant businesses,” Commissioner Saamoi said.
Commissioner Saamoi described the exercise as a key step in transitioning Liberia’s existing compliant Traders Program into an internationally recognized Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) framework, paving the way for the eventual implementation of a full AEO Program.
He highlighted several reforms that have strengthened Liberia’s capacity for the transition, including implementation of recommendations from the National Time Release Study of Liberia 2026, business process re-engineering at customs ports, enhancement and upgrade of the automated customs systems including (ASYCUDA) and the automated duty-free platform among others, improvements in border infrastructure, and preparations to implement a National Single Window in partnership with UNCTAD.
According to Commissioner Saamoi, these initiatives are improving border efficiency, facilitating legitimate trade, strengthening compliance, and supporting Liberia’s commitments under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the World Customs Organization, Trade Facilitation Expert Yasmeen Elahi said the diagnostic mission will identify the remaining gaps between Liberia’s current Complaint Traders Program and internationally recognized AEO standards.
She emphasized that lessons from Customs administrations with successful AEO programs, combined with international best practices and peer learning, will help guide Liberia’s implementation process.
“Liberia is beginning this journey from a position of strength, having already established a functional compliant Traders Program that demonstrates institutional commitment, innovation, and technical capacity,” Madam Elahi said.
The mission is also being facilitated by Nnenna Ugo-Akwa, an Authorized Economic Operator expert from the Nigeria Customs Service, who is providing technical guidance based on Nigeria’s experience in implementing its AEO Program.
The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program is an internationally recognized Customs-business partnership that rewards compliant traders with benefits such as faster cargo clearance, reduced inspections, greater predictability, and international recognition. At the same time, it strengthens Customs risk management, supply chain security, and trade facilitation.
The week-long mission brings together officials from the Liberia Revenue Authority and representatives of the private sector to assess Liberia’s implementation capacity and develop a roadmap for establishing an internationally recognized AEO Program.
Once implemented, the program is expected to reduce clearance times, improve supply chain efficiency, lower compliance costs for compliant traders, and enhance Liberia’s competitiveness as a regional trading hub within ECOWAS.
The initiative forms part of the LRA’s broader customs modernization strategy to strengthen border management, facilitate legitimate trade, improve compliance, and align Liberia’s Customs administration with global best practices in support of sustainable economic growth and regional integration.
