DTIS, Volume I - Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF)

suspense procedures, thus eliminating manual ledger control, which will also help a
quicker turnover in the port area.
The WTO-GATT Valuation Agreement cannot be implemented as the draft legislation
has not been passed and the existing Export and Import Law 31/79 (dating form 1979)
and Customs Regulations 9/93 do not cover provisions such as Post Customs Clearance
Audit. Lack of understanding of customs valuation and its supporting procedures
minimize the efficiency of the customs administration particularly in remote locations.
Advanced training on customs valuation such as that provided by the World Customs
Organization is required. .
Capacity building will be necessary as there is currently little capacity to prepare new
curricula related to advanced customs and management courses including post control
auditing, classification, valuation, origin of goods, risk management, profiling, and
narcotics. TA is needed to formulate curricula and carry out training of trainers.
Finally, there is a lack of coordination among MCS officers and the Coast Guard to
actually engage in combating drug trafficking and smuggling. Another reason is the lack
of vessels available for inspection and enforcement, and the absence of aerial support. It
will be necessary to establish high-level co-operation and common understanding when
working for the same purpose. In addition, new efficient equipment will be needed.
High-level meetings between the relevant parties should initiate the process.
Meeting the foregoing challenges requires additional financial and human resources for
operational purposes. The current level of funding is inadequate particularly for
improving communications, upgrading information technology and to provide acceptable
working conditions for staff,
In addition, there are serious congestion problems at Male’ Commercial Port, the only
customs entrance point for goods arriving by sea. This implies the need for government
to consider different options for the overall organization of customs services. In
particular, there is need to consider some decentralization of services to the regional
office in Gan (Seenu Atoll).
IV. Transport Services and Infrastructure
The significant volume of tourists visiting the country need to be processed efficiently on
arrival and transferred to the resorts with minimum delay. Aviation is generally geared to
handle regular passenger traffic and internal onward transport of tourists to and from the
resort islands. For critical inputs imported for the tourism and fishery sectors, transport
services are required for goods to be brought from the customs entrance point to the
where they are needed or consumed. Fishery exports are mostly perishable goods and
require adequate exportation facilities. Within the Maldives, maritime transport is almost
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