Senior Project Officer - Customs And Trade Policy

FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The Senior Project Officer (SPO), Customs is responsible for monitoring, and reporting to the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) the actions of Member States in respect to implementation and compliance with Treaty commitments and decisions of the COTED relating to trade in goods, viz, the operation of the CARICOM Comon External Tariff (CET) and Rules of Origin. The SPO supports the application of the rules and procedures relating to the trade in goods regime, the liberalisation of intra-regional trade, the integration of markets for goods, and the operation and administration of the CSME tariff policies and rules of origin. The SPO undertakes research aimed at clarifying and improving CSME trade policy instruments and rules aimed at enhancing the efficiency of these instruments and the administration of arrangements for the free movement of goods. The SPO supports the administration of arrangements for the movement of goods including suspensions, safeguards and tariff classification. 

This position is deemed to be relevant, efficient, and effective when: 

• It contributes to the development of proposals which succeed in impacting positively on market integration, trade and free movement of goods; 
• It successfully supports Member States implementing their Treaty obligations and policies, and obligations of Community organs; and 
• It prepares timely progress reports on the implementation of arrangements for liberalization and full market integration and trade, and free movement of goods, and proposes a range of potentially effective recommendations where necessary. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Candidates must possess a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics or related field, plus at least five (5) years of relevant and equivalent level experience working in Trade Policy and Customs and Tariff operations. Such experience should ideally be gained from institutions such as: 

• National Government (Customs Administration, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Finance)
• Regional and international organisation 
• A Multinational Business Organisation
• An International Economic Development Institution 
• Private Sector 

Candidates must possess specialised training and good working knowledge in: 

• The Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) 
• Rules of Origin 
• Customs and Trade Policy Administration 
• Liberalisation of Trade 
• Free Movement of Goods 
• International Trade in Goods 
• Economic Integration 
• Strong written and oral communication skills 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Result: Effective management of the operational functions of the Customs and Trade Policy Unit in the Directorate of CARICOM Single Market and Trade (CSMT) to facilitate the timely and efficient execution of its mandates and tasks. 

Activities 

• CONTRIBUTES to the development of proposals relating to strategy, policy, instruments and other measures impacting on liberalisation, market integration, trade and free movement of goods; 
• CONTRIBUTES to the design of programmes, instruments, and administrative procedures relating to market integration, trade and free movement of goods; 
• PREPARES responses to complaints regarding difficulties encountered by Member States and enterprises relating to trade in goods; 
• MONITORS compliance of Member States with Treaty Obligations, COTED decisions and the performance of the arrangements for, liberalisation, market integration, trade and free movement of goods; 
• SUPPORTS action by Member States to implement their Treaty obligations and policies and decisions of Community Organs; 
• PROVIDES technical advice to Member States, and business enterprises on Trade-in-Goods matters including on tariff classification and rules of origin; 
• MONITORS the work of consultants in the course of implementation of projects; 
• PREPARES and SUBMITS to the COTED, progress reports on the implementation of the arrangements for liberalisation, market integration, trade and free movement of goods;
• MONITORS the implementation by Member States of their obligations relating to the Customs Tariff Regime and the Rules of Origin; 
• CONTRIBUTES to the development of strategies, policies, instruments and administrative systems aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the CSME arrangements for trade in goods; 
• CONTRIBUTES to the coordination of activities for the execution of studies to assess the impact on Member States and the CSME of implementing the policies relating to the CSME arrangements for trade in goods; 
• RECEIVES, EXAMINES and PROCESSES applications from Member States for suspension of the Common External Tariff and for derogations from the Rules of Origin; 
• CONTRIBUTES to the preparation of the Secretary-General’s Report to the Council for Trade and Economic Development on the exercise of the authority delegated by the COTED or set out in the Treaty in respect of the approval or denial of requests from Member States for suspension of the CET and derogations from the Rules of Origin; 
• MAINTAINS the register of persons authorised by Member States to sign Certificates of Origin; 
• CIRCULATES and MONITORS enquiries and responses from Member States Customs Administrations on the verification of origin of the Query Verification Procedure of the Rules of Origin; 
• FOLLOWS-UP enquiries from Member States relating to the structure, classification, substantive rules and disciplines relating to the CET and Rules of Origin; 
• UNDERTAKES assignments relating to the harmonisation of Customs Laws, Regulations, Forms and Customs Procedure Codes and promote their implementation by Member States; 
• PROVIDES technical support to the External Trade Programme in respect of Customs Tariff and Rules of Origin arising under trade agreements between the Community and Third States and Groups of Third States; and 
• CONTRIBUTES to the execution of arrangements for the convening of meetings of the Customs Committee. 

In addition to the Results and Activities outlined above, the incumbent is expected to perform any other relevant duties and responsibilities in keeping with job functions.

EDUCATION GRANT

The Officer shall be eligible for the payment of an education grant in respect of children (including stepchildren and legally adopted children) who require reasonable education facilities that are not available at the assigned duty station or whose education the Officer would not want to disrupt in relocating to take up this appointment. 

The grant shall apply to children under the age of twenty-three (23) years and shall not exceed seventy-five per cent (75%) of the cost of tuition (including textbooks), room and board up to a maximum total of EC$16,200.00 per year per child for a maximum of two (2) children at any one time. The grant is payable for a maximum of five (5) years. 

SETTLEMENT GRANT

On assumption of duty in Guyana, the Officer shall be paid a settlement grant in respect of the staff member, his or her spouse and each eligible child or other approved dependent. The number of dependents eligible for Settlement Grant shall not exceed six (6) persons. 

RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT

Appointment may be on the permanent establishment or on secondment from a Public Service or a statutory body of a Member State or approved regional organisation. It will be subject to such staff rules and policies, rules, regulations, orders and instructions as exist and as may be introduced from time to time with respect to service with the Caribbean Community Secretariat. 
An Officer recruited from outside the assigned duty station, on first appointment, will be provided economy class air passages by the most direct route for the Officer, spouse and children (provided they are below the age of eighteen (18) years, unmarried and dependent on the Officer) and for such other dependents not exceeding two (2) as may be approved by the Secretary-General, provided that the number of children and other dependents does not exceed six (6) in all. 

In addition to passages, the Officer will be granted the following transportation allowances: 

• ocean freight charges, including insurance, for shipping personal and household effects to Guyana, not exceeding 45.3 cubic meters, plus a motor car (if the Officer already owns one); 
• the cost of transporting baggage, personal and household effects from the home of the Officer to the place of embarkation and from the port of disembarkation to the place of residence in Guyana; and 
• he cost of packing and crating personal and household effects.

LEAVE

The officer will be eligible for the grant of vacation leave at the rate of twenty (20) working days a year and a leave grant after every twelve (12) months of service in respect of the officer, spouse and up to two (2) dependent children. 

PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES

The officer will be granted the privileges and immunities extended to officials of the Caribbean Community in accordance with Article 8 of the Community’s Headquarters Agreement with the Government of Guyana. 

GROUP HEALTH AND LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Subject to acceptance by the Secretariat’s insurance carrier, the Officer will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s group health, life and accident insurance schemes. With respect to the health insurance, the Officer will contribute fifty per cent (50%) of the premium. The life and accident insurance scheme is non-contributory. 

SUPERANNUATION

An Officer appointed to this post will be required to participate in the Secretariat’s Defined Contribution Pension Plan and contribute 7 per cent of basic salary per month, while the Secretariat will contribute 13 percent of the Officer’s basic salary to the pension plan. Where the appointment is on secondment, the Secretariat will pay to the Officer’s substantive employer, over the period of secondment, a contribution not exceeding twenty-five per cent (25%) of the pensionable salary normally payable to the Officer by that employer so as to maintain the pensionable status of the Officer in the substantive employment. 

APPLICATIONS

Applications in English Language with full curriculum vitae details, including the email addresses of three (3) referees (at least two of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work)