CLiKC! is an online training portal that offers training materials and useful information in accordance with international standards set by the World Customs Organization. On November 19, the USAID Trade Facilitation Program participated in a one-year review workshop on CliKC! at the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC).  While Vietnam Customs was granted access to CLiKC! several years ago, they did not use it frequently until the USAID Trade Facilitation Program began providing Vietnam Customs with technical assistance and training. With USAID support,  the Vietnam Customs School (VCS) has organized nine in-person training classes and one online class for 262 participants (104 male and 158 female), who took one or more courses and were awarded 488 certificates. Staff from 12 out of 18 GDVC departments and 31 out of 35 local customs divisions, mostly junior officials and potential leaders, participated in these trainings. Based on VCS post-training surveys, 83.7 percent of participants said they gained additional professional knowledge on customs and international standards; and 64.2 percent of participants said that they can apply all or part of the knowledge gained to their daily work. Moving forward, GDVC will be developing incentives for customs officials to encourage them to receive training through CLiKC!

So What? With their customs knowledge enhanced through the in-class and online training, Vietnamese customs officers at the central and provincial levels will understand and implement trade facilitation regulations more effectively, thereby helping reduce time and cost to trade and advancing the Indo-Pacific vision.