Vision seems to be the recurrent theme in this edition. Following the review of SITPRO last year, we have been thinking about the drivers for and challenges to trade facilitation over the next few years and how SITPRO should position itself as an organisation to make a real difference for traders in the UK and around the world. Our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, stakeholder groups and sponsors in Government have all helped to draw up a vision for SITPRO's activities over the next five years. So our strategy is based on wide consultation and we are very excited about it. We will need to keep this under review, so if you have any thoughts about it I would be very pleased to hear from you.
The World Customs Organisation is going through a similar process. Since last June, it has been aiming to draw up a picture of the role of Customs in the 21st Century. From the traditional role as a country's gatekeeper, the WCO now sees Customs' role greatly expanded, performing border controls on behalf of other policy centres in government. I was invited to a high-level meeting chaired by the WCO's Secretary General, to give SITPRO's perspective on how the WCO could best address facilitation in its forward looking strategy.
It is important that all organisations have a clear sense of direction. It is not enough to produce annual business plans that do not lead anywhere strategically. I do not think SITPRO has been like that, but I do believe that armed with a longer term perspective we can be even more effective as an organisation in focusing our efforts on trade facilitation where they matter most.
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 64, Spring 2008
