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Risk Management in Maldives

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Risk Management in Maldives NO. 95 SEPTEMBER 2018 ADB BRIEFS KEY POINTS Risk Management in Maldives: • Maldives is an island nation that relies on imports and exports for Sharing Practical Experience essential goods, services, and economic growth. Improving the efficiency of its cross-border and Lessons Learned regulatory agencies can reduce the costs of international trade, drive economic growth, and reduce resource demands on both public and private sector IntroDUCTION institutions. • Improving risk management processes and technology is a Risk management is a systematic approach to determine which goods and passengers need low-cost, high-yield approach to to be examined in detail when entering a country. It involves (i) collecting, storing, and enhance trade efficiency. ADB is analyzing data to understand the risk profile of goods and passenger luggage; (ii) using risk supporting the Maldives Customs profiles to assess the likelihood of illicit trade activity; and (iii) addressing risks by inspecting Service (MCS) to improve risk management controls by consignments and responding to illegal activity. (i) providing advice on institutional reforms, Measures to strengthen risk management technology, processes, and organizations improve (ii) helping MCS to implement national security and reduce costs associated with customs and border controls. Improving new technology and customs risk management facilitates trade by enabling cross-border regulatory agencies (CBRAs) to processes, and (iii) fostering a identify and inspect high-risk consignments, and to streamline the processing of low-risk items. higher degree of communication between trade stakeholders and government agencies. Risk management facilitates trade while safeguarding communities and nations against • MCS has begun implementing illicit activity. In the context of increasingly global markets, modernizing risk management reforms in (i) information and procedures, organizations, and technology is essential for maintaining appropriate government communication technology to controls while driving economic growth. Modern risk management translates to safer, more support collaboration, (ii) physical efficient trade. and non-physical interventions to strengthen inspections, and (iii) institutional reforms and Maldives is implementing reforms to improve risk management controls and to strengthen human capacity development its trade environment. Recent activities to facilitate trade and safeguard its borders seek to to drive more effective risk deliver operational and economic gains in the public and private sectors. Government agencies management operations. are working to improve service delivery and, at the same time, to leverage limited human and Outcomes include greater financial resources more efficiently. Traders, in turn, will benefit from reduced time to import national security, reduced and export goods, increased predictability of services, and greater ease of doing business. administrative costs, and a more competitive trade economy. Improvements to risk management processes in Maldives are ongoing. The experience in implementing reforms to procedures and information and communication technology (ICT), particularly at the Maldives Customs Service (MCS), can be brought to scale in other domestic organizations and replicated in similar trade environments across South Asia. This publication shares practical experience in implementing risk management reforms in MCS and documents achievements to date. ISBN 978-92-9261-304-4 (print) ISBN 978-92-9261-305-1 (electronic) ISSN 2071-7202 (print) ISSN 2218-2675 (electronic) Publication Stock No. BRF189508-2 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/BRF189508-2 ADB BRIEFS NO. 95 RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES Maldives is developing a national single window (NSW) platform that IN MALDIVES will enable different CBRAs, including MCS, to input and access data seamlessly in an online portal. This will enable CBRAs to make well- informed decisions while reducing duplication of efforts through more The trade volume of imports into Maldives nearly tripled from 2006 efficient dissemination of data. to 2014, placing considerable strain on the limited resources of domestic CBRAs. As import and export volumes continue to grow, MCS and other CBRAs need to ensure they can meet international Coordinating Data Exchange and Strategy risk management standards while improving trade efficiency to drive economic growth. Efforts to strengthen interagency collaboration should focus on efficient data exchange and improved risk management strategies In 2014, the World Customs Organization (WCO) carried out an across government agencies. Aligning information systems and analysis of risk management practices in Maldives. The corresponding risk management strategies enables CBRAs to conduct targeted mission report identified focal areas for MCS to address in the short, interventions that demand fewer resources and deliver higher success medium, and long term to improve risk management.1 In 2016, the rates. Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted MCS in implementing selected reforms corresponding to the WCO recommendations. Exchanging data between agencies ensures that CBRAs have the necessary information to assess risks and develop robust trader profiles. ADB’s Regional Technical Assistance for Trade Facilitation in South For example, traders that owe taxes have a greater incentive to evade Asia supported MCS to (i) produce a risk management framework taxation; however, customs agents can only identify this risk if they and action plan, (ii) draft standard operating procedures for risk have access to tax information. Key steps for establishing efficient data management, (iii) initiate institutional reforms, (iv) build the capacity of exchange in Maldives include (i) identifying data fields for agencies to MCS staff in risk management procedures, and (v) identify focal areas share with MCS and other CBRAs, (ii) designating reporting periods for for ongoing reforms.2 sharing information, and (iii) interconnecting information systems to enable seamless data exchange between agencies. Continuing to strengthen the risk management environment in Maldives involves a diverse range of interventions. MCS has begun Aligning risk management strategies between agencies reduces improving risk management in three core areas: (i) institutional duplication of efforts and improves resource efficiency. Setting up collaboration and ICT, (ii) infrastructural and procedural interventions working groups and assembling periodic meetings—typically on a to streamline inspections, and (iii) institutional reforms and human quarterly basis—ensure that all trade and customs stakeholders can capacity development. This publication documents MCS’ progress in participate in identifying risk management priorities. Holding periodic each of these core areas and suggests continued improvements to risk meetings enables stakeholders to assess the impacts of specific risks management processes and controls. and to prioritize measures for addressing them. The activities described in this publication are based on two reports Maldives is working to establish appropriate liaison mechanisms for prepared for ADB’s Regional Technical Assistance for Trade Facilitation data harmonization and strategic planning by implementing an NSW in South Asia.3 This publication is intended to complement dialogue platform and by creating working groups to improve risk management between CBRAs in Maldives and across South Asia, and to disseminate controls. knowledge surrounding barriers and accomplishments of risk management in South Asia. Developing a Risk Management Framework INFormATION AND CommUNICATION In 2015, ADB assisted MCS in developing a risk management 4 TECHnoloGY AND CollABORATION framework. The document is aligned with WCO’s international best practices and country-specific recommendations for Maldives BETWEEN AGENCIES (footnote 1). Trade processes involve a complex network of stakeholders. Increasing The framework comprises four sections: (i) an overview, which collaboration between agencies can reduce or eliminate duplication introduces terms, objectives, and benefits associated with risk of efforts in collecting and processing trader and consignment data. management in Maldives; (ii) a context section, which presents MCS’ 1 WCO. Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of Maldives Customs Service Supported by Enhanced Integrated Framework: Diagnostic Report. Unpublished. 2 ADB. 2013. Technical Assistance for Trade Facilitation in South Asia. Manila. 3 S. Duart. Gap Analysis Report: Maldives Risk Management. Unpublished.; S. Duart. Action Plan and Recommendations: Maldives Risk Management. Unpublished. 4 MCS. 2015. Risk Management Framework. Malé. 2 Risk Management in Maldives: Sharing Practical Experience and Lessons Learned background, mission, and commitment to provide specific services; (iii) Leveraging Trader Profiles for Targeted Inspections an explanation of MCS’ proposed risk management processes; and (iv) a reinforcement section, which discusses how to monitor and improve Trader profiles are collections of data and narrative descriptions services over time. of a given trader that are accumulated over time and stored by a given CBRA. Trader profiles enable CBRAs to assess the level of The framework also proposes a governance and organizational risk associated with a particular trader, and to apply different levels structure for MCS. The governance structure establishes a of controls based on the trader’s calculated level of risk.
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