Albania customs assistance programme
Albania Customs Assistance Programme (ACAP)
The government of Albania signed a contract with Crown Agents on 29 December 2013
(Правительство Албании подписало контракт с Crown Agents 29 декабря 2013) to support the development of the Albanian Customs Administration and specifically to:
Increase levels of revenue collection
Increase levels of integrity within the customs administration
Build the capacity and effectiveness of the customs administration in line with the requirements for accession to the European Union
(Наращивание потенциала и эффективности таможенного администрирования в соответствии с требованиями для вступления в Европейский союз)The contract which was signed between the Government of Albania and Crown Agents, and became effective on February 10, includes the provision of consultancy services. Crown Agents has no executive authority
(Контракт, который был подписан между правительством Албании и Crown Agents, и вступил в силу 10 февраля включает в себя предоставление консультационных услуг. Crown Agents не имеет исполнительной власти).
The key measurement of overall performance is to support an increase in the level of the revenue collected by the Customs Administration, equivalent to 1% of GDP. There are then additional performance indicators for each work area.
Performance Indicators are reviewed by the PMC on a quarterly basis, with the exception of the first quarter, as this included the mobilisation phase. The first formal review of the Key Performance Indicators took place at the end of the second quarter, in August 2014. The KPIs were reviewed once more at the end of the third quarter, in November 2014
(Показатели эффективности пересматриваются в PMC на ежеквартальной основе, за исключением первого квартала, так как это входит в фазу мобилизации. Первый официальный обзор ключевых показателей эффективности состоялся в конце второго квартала, в августе 2014 года, были рассмотрены ключевые показатели еще раз в конце третьего квартала, в ноябре 2014 года).
The contract is for a two-year period, with the option for a further one year extension, subject to the decision of the Government of Albania (Контракт сроком на два года с возможностью для дальнейшего расширения на один год, с учетом решения правительства Албании).Our approach
(Наш подход)mobile teams Our programme involves the deployment of long-term international experts to work, on a consultancy and advisory basis, alongside Customs staff in Tirana and throughout Albania. Our experts are working with counterparts within the Customs Administration both within the Headquarters and at the operational level. Additionally, we are assisting Customs at the central level through consultancy in the areas Anti-Corruption, Human Resources Management, and Risk Analysis
(мобильные бригады Наша программа включает в себя развертывание долгосрочных международных экспертов для работы, на консультации и консультативной основе, наряду сотрудников таможни в Тиране и всей Албании. Наши специалисты работают с коллегами в рамках Таможенного управления как в штаб-квартире и на оперативном уровне. Кроме того, мы помогаем таможни на центральном уровне через консультации в областях борьбы с коррупцией, управления персоналом, а также анализ рисков).
Our approach is based on partnership and long-term capacity-building of the Customs Administration, in line with international best practice and, specifically, the requirements for European Union accession. Crown Agents is assisting the Albanian Customs Administration particularly in terms of revenue collection, prevention and detection of corruption, the development of human resources systems and procedures and the improved application of risk analysis.
Our team
Albanian TeamOur team includes 15 long-term personnel, drawn from the countries of the European Union including the UK, Finland, Poland, Latvia, and Bulgaria. All of our team members are highly experienced serving or former Customs officers, all of whom have worked on international programmes in south-east Europe. Eleven of them are operational advisers which work in teams with Albanian Customs and Police Officers in all geographic areas of Albania. Each of our operational advisers is attached to a joint Customs-Crown Agents operational team, which additionally involves two local Customs officers and one Police officer.
The Albanian Government has an obligation to ensure adequate numbers of Albanian Customs officers and support staff are provided, and suitably resourced, to work alongside Crown Agents Operational Teams. They are also responsible for the provision of furnished offices and for operational vehicle running costs. The Crown Agents international team was mobilised during January and February 2014, in accordance with the provisions of the Contract.
All local Customs officers that become part of the joint Customs-Crown Agents operational teams initially follow a strict training and assessment session. This training combines in-service sessions, delivered by the Heads of Departments from the relevant business areas of the General Customs Directorate, and modules delivered by the Crown Agents advisors. These include both classroom-based and practical sessions, including on-site visits during which the trainees are able to demonstrate and refine their newly acquired skills in a working environment.
In order to ensure efficient programme delivery, Crown Agents has established a dedicated Programme Management Unit. This unit is responsible for providing administrative and logistical support to the programme team, as well as monitoring and reporting on programme implementation.
Work areas
Our experts will work to support the following areas of customs activity:
Enforcement of customs controls and detection of fraud
Development of effective risk-based controls within an overall risk management strategy
Development and application of an improved organisation and management strategy and human resource strategy
Improving levels of integrity and ethical standards through the development and implementation of appropriate systems and policies
Revenue collection
The speed at which we mobilised and deployed our team of experts and started working was of key importance to the programme. This included not only the deployment of our own experts, but also the procurement of equipment and vehicles to support their work and the selection and training of local Customs staff for our operational teams. As soon as our teams were ready, on 17 March 2014, they were deployed throughout Albania, to identify specific cases of fraud including smuggling, undervaluation, and miss-description of goods.
albanian revenue teamThis marked the starting point of full operational engagement. Since then, they have been controlling and reporting on many cases which at the same time represent different Customs activity areas, including passenger traffic at ports, border crossing points and Tirana airport, commercial importations, smuggled goods, illicit sales of tobacco products, vehicle smuggling and breaches of Customs suspension regimes including warehousing and Temporary Imports.
The actions of our operational teams are having a direct and significant impact on the detection of fraud and also, by their presence, are increasing levels of compliance. We will be undertaking an urgent assessment of the anticipated levels of increase that can be expected in the coming weeks, including an assessment of risks to revenue in a number of key areas.
Coordination with other stakeholders
Effective delivery of our programme requires close cooperation and coordination with a number of stakeholders both within the Public Administration of Albania and with international organisations and neighbouring countries. In order to promote transparency and enhance cooperation, we have established a coordination mechanism, which includes regular meetings and exchange of information with all of the relevant bodies. Our work will not replace or duplicate any of the existing and planned projects and programmes but will work alongside them and support them.
Quarterly Reports form a key element of that coordination by providing all relevant stakeholders with clear and up to date information on the Programme implementation. These regular quarterly meetings will serve to all key stakeholders to ask further questions on our activities and also share any information they may have on their own areas of activity or interest.
Transparency and accountability
MoF AlbWe are accountable directly to the Ministry of Finance for our actions and we report to them on a weekly basis as well as attending monthly review meetings. Considering the public interest and the high visibility of our programme, we have shared as much information as possible with the media and with the general public of Albania through regular publication of reports and information on our activities.
Supervision of contract implementation is the responsibility of the Programme Management Council (PMC), which has been established by Order of the Minister of Finance. The PMC is chaired by the Deputy Minister of Finance and membership also includes the Customs Director-General and one Deputy Director-General.
Crown Agents submits a monthly report to the PMC on the activities that have been undertaken and the progress that has been made. The PMC then meets monthly, or as required, following submission of the report to consider it. Crown Agents representatives attend meetings of the PMC to respond to any issues or concerns before the report is then accepted.
http://www.crownagents.com/programi-i-doganave
