The CARIFORUM Capacity Building in Competition, Public Procurement, and Customs and Trade Facilitation Project is excited to announce its partnership with the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES) at Charles Sturt University. Through the partnership, 8 CARIFORUM nationals will pursue the Graduate Certificate Programme in Customs Administration with the University. The scholarships encompass all application and tuition fees, in addition to providing essential course materials. The recipients come from diverse backgrounds and represent the Customs and Excise Departments across CARIFORUM States, including Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Jamaica. CARIFORUM is the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
The Project is funded by the European Union under the 11th EDF “Support to CARIFORUM Member States in furthering the implementation of their Economic Partnership Agreement. Ms. Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, Director-General, CARIFORUM lauded the partnership as another initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of the CARIFORUM States to effectively implement the Economic Partnership Agreement between CARIFORUM and the EU.
The students commenced the Programme at the CCES in March 2024 with an anticipated completion date of January 2025. Upon completion, these scholars will assume a crucial role in shaping the customs regimes in CARIFORUM and in elevating regional proficiency to effectively apply contemporary policies and practices on cross-border trade management.