The governments of the two countries signed in Luanda, in August 2019, an Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, whose application was pending ratification by the National Assembly, which will happen, according to the agenda that Lusa had access, in the first ordinary parliamentary session of this month, taking place from 10 to 12 March, in Praia.
"On the basis of the establishment of this important instrument of cooperation between the two countries, with repercussions on customs activities on a global scale, the concern and recognition of the parties surrounding violations against customs legislation that undermine security and economic, social interests underlie and cultural, as well as the need to strike a balance between the facilitation of lawful trade and the controls necessary to guarantee the protection of societies and the revenues of their States ", states the text of the agreement.
With this agreement, Cape Verde and Angola assume the objective of "improving cooperation between the customs administrative authorities of the parties responsible for the application of customs legislation, having as one of the main axes of action the fight against operations that violate customs legislation" and "making it more effective through mutual assistance".
"The operations in question are effectively those that harm the economic, insurance, tax and commercial interests of the Parties, and it is essential for any State to ensure the correct assessment of customs duties and other charges", further reads.
Mutual assistance will involve areas such as the collection of customs duties and taxes, compliance with prohibition measures, restrictions and preferential taxation or exemption related to the import, export and transit of goods, as well as application of the rules regarding the origin of the goods.
It also includes the prevention and repression of customs infractions and illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, up to regulations regarding endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
