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Authorized Economic Operators

In the Islamic Countries:

Enhancing Customs-Traders Partnership

62

study: Canada (83 percent) and Japan (83 percent). The same reasoning explained above

applies to this comparison as well. Canada and Japan have much older and mature AEO

programs that are enriched by the needs and suggestions of very high numbers of AEO

companies in their programs. The impact of compliance process during the MRA negotiations

may also be a factor that increases the convergence for the best practice countries.

3.3.2. Convergence Results of OIC in Comparison to APEC

This section presents a brief comparison of OIC survey with APEC survey in APEC (2016).

Table 3.7 shows the variable level convergence across OIC and APEC AEO programs. Bold-

faced characters in the table signify the variables that have a higher-level convergence

compared to the other country group. Moreover, the variables are sorted from the highest to

the lowest levels of convergence using the OIC results. In other words, in the OIC AEO

programs the highest levels of convergence are observed for self-assessment mechanism along

with physical security and compliance requirements. However, the lowest levels of

convergence appear to be in the areas of SMEs, MRAs and types of operators.

Table 3.7. Variable Level Convergence across OIC and APEC

Variable

OIC

APEC

Self-Assessment Mechanism

100.0%

92.2%

Physical Security Requirements

100.0%

89.8%

Compliance Requirements

100.0%

88.2%

Application, Verification & Authorization Procedures

87.5%

79.8%

Benefits for AEOs

83.9%

73.8%

Partnership Initiatives

77.1%

67.7%

Suspension and Revocation

70.8%

80.4%

Training of Customs Officers

79.2%

59.8%

Customs Organizational Structure of AEO Program

75.0%

76.5%

Electronic Promotion of the Program

66.1%

74.8%

Post-Authorization Audit

67.5%

75.3%

Types of Operators

65.6%

55.9%

Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs)

52.1%

72.2%

Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

43.8%

29.4%

Source: Authors’ compilation using survey data.

Furthermore, the OIC AEO programs exhibit higher levels of convergence in terms of self-

assessment mechanism; physical security and compliance requirements; application,

verification and authorization procedures; benefits of AEOs, partnership initiatives, training of

Customs officials, types of operators and SMEs compared to the APEC AEO programs.

Meanwhile, the APEC AEOs perform better convergence in terms of suspension and revocation

procedures, customs organizational structure, electronic promotion of the program, post-

authorization audit and MRAs.

Table 3.8 presents comparative sectoral convergence rates of AEO programs in OIC and APEC

member countries. First of all, in both country groups there is perfect convergence in terms of

manufacturing. In other words, all AEO programs in both of these groups are opted by