Facilitating Trade:
Improving Customs Risk Management Systems
In the OIC Member States
105
and trade flows using risk analysis, post-clearance examinations, and research by producing
statistical data. The Directorate consists of Risk Analysis Department, Control Department,
Statistics Department, Economic Analysis and Research Department, Trade Simplification
Department in charge of AEOs, Electronic Customs Transactions Department, and
Administrative Department.
Risk Analysis Department as a part of the Directorate General of Risk Management and Control
is responsible for risk analysis activities on a central level. The TCA has, since 2012, introduced
risk analysis tasks on a regional level, through the Regional Risk Analysis Units under each
Regional Directorate. In such an organization, the local risk analysis procedures are performed
by the staff responsible for risk analysis in the Customs Offices. This is an important aspect of
the development of CRM in TCA – the decentralization of the risk analysis activities means that
the TCA has recognized that each region has different particulars related to specific risk areas.
In such a way, the TCA has a strong mechanism to run the risk assessment process at the local
and regional level. There are 18 regional Risk Analysis Units, and currently, the CRM is applied
on the strategic, tactical and operational level. The Risk Analysis Department in the TCA was
established in 1997 as a small department that conducted the manual analysis. It aimed to
change the mindset and build a strong awareness of risks among customs officers. The
department made efforts to replace the practice of 100% physical inspection with a check of
50% of shipments based on some principles of risk management. Today, this department has 15
employees in headquarters and 63 in local administrations, equipped with the necessary
modern equipment to analyze different data sets related to risk assessment and create risk
profiles.
Figure 35: TCA Organizational chart of the Ministry of Customs and Trade
Source: Turkey Customs Administration