UNJLC Customs and Immigration Guide

Since August 2003, UNJLC has reviewed and analysed the Customs and Immigration regime in Liberia to assist the Humanitarian Community.  In order to provide a common understanding between all parties, UNJLC has outlined current Customs and Immigration procedures as they apply to the Humanitarian Community.

Downloadable below is the second draft of the resulting report completed in December 2003. It has been compiled through extensive interaction with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commissioner of Customs, Commissioner of Immigration, and many of their staff. It is designed as a working document and is intended to facilitate greater discussion on the subject of Customs and Immigration. This document will be superseded by subsequent drafts reflecting both the comments and suggestions resulting from its circulation, and future refinements that occur in the Customs and Immigration system.

UNJLC Customs and Immigration Procedures

United Nation Privileges and Immunities

UNJLC, through discussions with the Commissioner of Immigration, has secured the reactivation of United Nations privileges and immunities as they relate to Immigration. UN staff travelling on National Passports is now exempt from payment of all charges as well as the requirement to complete official Immigration documentation. All necessary information is now provided to the Bureau of Immigration via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the form of a Note Verbale. A copy of the letter, dated 10 December 2003, from the Commissioner of Immigration confirming these arrangements is downloadable belowConfirmation of UN Immigration Privileges and Immunities

 Part 1

Part 2 

Customs and Immigration Study

A customs and immigration expert, seconded to UNJLC from DFID, arrived in Monrovia on 13 January 2004 for a three-week mission. The expert met with key Government and Humanitarian bodies in order to analyse future customs and immigration deployments, activities and to facilitate discussion on the possible streamlining of procedures and practices. The consultant’s activities included a review of the existing UNJLC Customs and Immigration Guide; identification of the need for further recommendations for the speedy delivery of UN goods; identification of any UN activities that may be hindering the customs regime; providing recommendations for the improvement of customs procedures; harmonising the ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ of customs regulations; adjusting customs regulations in line with those of the World Customs Organisation (WCO); and, a review of auxiliary charges outside of customs issues.

The consultant completed his mission on 2 February 2004. Following is the Executive Summary of the Final Report:

Between the 13^th and 25^th January a series of meetings were held with officials and members of the business community involved in Customs and Immigration issues within Liberia by the UNJLC team including a consultant specialising in these areas. The purpose of the review was to confirm the initial findings of the UNJLC in respect of the interaction of Customs and Immigration procedures with the UN and NGO community in Liberia and to indicate areas in which international assistance was needed, for capacity building, by both the Liberian frontier services.

This report outlines the issues, identifies changes that can be made without external aid and indicates the pressing need for substantial and immediate assistance to both Customs and Immigration from the international community as envisaged by the Accra Accord. Both services have received little assistance from outside Liberia during the past 14 years and their procedures are archaic, bureaucratic, lack transparency, encourage corruption and as a result have very low levels of efficiency.

The primary causes of the problems are:

• 14 years of neglect of the administrative systems and the Rule of Law;
• Pay levels between 18 and 25 USD per month gross which have often not been paid and now do not cover the purchase of a single 50 Kg bag rice;
• A continuing process of political and nepotistic appointments in operational areas of the administration;
• Poor working conditions; and,
• A part of the business community being prepared to base their activities on evading revenue and other controls through encouraging a corrupt system.

If the Government of Liberia and the international community choose to allow these problems to persist, the image of Liberia will continue to be tarnished at the point of entry to its territory of both people and goods. This will undoubtedly discourage the commercial activity by Liberian nationals and international businesses that is necessary for the nation’s development; however it will encourage, rather than deter, the ‘cowboy’ element in business who have no interest in contributing to the national revenue or social recovery. It should also be noted that Customs is currently responsible for collecting approximately 60% of the national revenue of Liberia

Although desperately in need of reform the ability of the present systems in both services to function, although only with the assistance, particularly in Customs freight clearance, of corruption together with the delay in returning these administrative activities to the whole of Liberia offers a short window of opportunity to undertake the necessary change process. If the opportunity is not grasped before the establishment of the structure in the countryside then inadequate procedures, staff lacking training, equipment and resources together with an enhanced culture of corruption will be exported from Monrovia to the rest of Liberia.

Whilst ensuring there is strong visible Liberian ownership of the capacity building programme, the international community should consider a substantial input of resources both in terms of money for physical regeneration of the system and expatriate advisors in a range of positions within the organizational structures. In addition, a major training programme for both services should be implemented to build capacity for sustained training by Liberian trainers and boosting the knowledge base of existing staff quickly. To ensure the training is well targeted, it should be subject to a full training needs survey as part of the implementation report of the first expatriate advisory team.

Despite their problems, it has been apparent there are many individuals both in Customs and Immigration who want to have an administration working to international standards and with a high level of integrity. This should provide encouragement that the investment by the international community in this area would assist in ensuring sustainable good governance for Liberia.