Customs officers from Cambodia and Thailand as well as from the host Vietnam , attended a workshop in Hanoi from Nov. 10-11 to share experiences in risk management.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which co-sponsored the workshop, said the event aimed to raise risk management skills to international standards for customs officers from the three Mekong Sub-Region countries as a step towards curbing illegal trade.

It will also help boost regional cooperation in commerce through the streamlining of customs procedures, said the Vietnamese Customs General Department (CGD), the co-sponsor of the event.

CGD Deputy General Director Nguyen Duong Thai said Vietnam is making efforts to modernise its customs system, including risk management, as a key to the success of the current reforms.

He added that assistance from Japan was expected to help customs agencies in Vietnam and in the Mekong sub-region to continually improve.

Experts from Japan shared experiences in applying the smart customs system and automatic luggage transportation chain, which they said have contributed to increasing efficiency in customs procedures./.