Rethinking Customs’ Procurement Practices to Deliver Improved Business Outcomes

Abstract

This paper draws attention to the need to rethink the traditional procurement practices used in the public sector and, in particular, by customs agencies. It poses three questions: Are customs agencies today getting optimal value in procuring goods and services from the private sector? Can collaboration be improved between the private sector and the customs agencies and amongst customs agencies themselves with respect to procurement? What can be learned from the private sector – what fundamental innovations exist and how can they be applied to the way Customs approaches procurement? After examining current procurement practices and identifying their inadequacy, the paper proposes that a comprehensive review be carried out to evaluate the efficacy of current Customs’ procurement practices, with a view to developing best practice recommendations and designing a new practice for consideration by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and its Members as operating guidelines.