WINDHOEK, Aug. 13– Namibia and Botswana are expected to pilot a mutual recognition arrangement for accredited customs traders on Aug. 18, ahead of its planned rollout across the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) in April 2027, the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) said Thursday.
The pilot of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Mutual Recognition Arrangement will include accredited traders using the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, such as the Trans-Kalahari/Mamuno One-Stop Border Post and the Port of Walvis Bay, NamRA said in a statement.
Under the arrangement, accredited traders will be mutually recognized by participating customs authorities and benefit from faster clearance, fewer routine inspections, greater predictability and improved supply chain efficiency.
Ahead of the pilot, officials from NamRA, the Botswana Unified Revenue Service, the SACU Secretariat and other border agencies conducted readiness assessments along the corridor to test procedures and identify potential operational bottlenecks.
The AEO program is an internationally recognized customs-business partnership based on the World Customs Organization’s SAFE Framework of Standards. It provides trade facilitation benefits to businesses that meet customs compliance and supply chain security requirements. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
