Australia and India have agreed to an annual cycle of joint working group to promote closer cooperation between the customs agencies of the two countries.

The joint working group mechanism will focus on sharing of technical expertise, people exchange and information exchange, the Chief Executive of Australian Customs and Border Protection, Mike Puzzello, said.

Plans are afoot to move from a transaction-by-transaction-based approach to information sharing to a more institutionalised arrangement, Puzzello told Business Line in an interview here.

Puzzello, who was in the apital for the inaugural meeting of the Joint Working Group, said both sides will work towards rapid dissemination of information if not real time information exchange.

Asked to comment on the current level of cooperation between the customs agencies of the two counties, he said it was good.

"It can be much better now that the Prime Ministers of both the countries have set very ambitious goals and targets to achieve."

Besides the bilateral talks with Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) Chairperson, JM Shanthi Sundharam, Puzzello also met Director General of Narcotics Control Board and Indian Coast Guard.

In his meetings with Indian counterparts, Puzzello discussed regional security issues not just in Indian ocean but across the broader Asia Pacific region.

"Australia and India should think as to how their bilateral partnership can be used to drive regional leadership."

While India was the past Chair of Indian Ocean Regional Association, Australia is the current Chair.

"One of the consistent discussion points was how do we work together across the Indian ocean region to faciltate legitimate trade and travel and work against smuglers, criminals and terrorists," Puzzello said.

Australia intends to investigate the Indian Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programme put in place by customs authorities here.

This will help Australia in rolling out its Trusted, Tried Out Programme--equivalent of AEO--from, say July 1, 2016.

AEO programme is now the preferred model for customs collaboration around the world.

The biggest benefit is dramatic reduction in paperwork for companies and cutting down of red tape, Puzzello said.

He also said mutual recognition of each other's programme was also a distinct possibility in the coming years.

Source :- thehindubusinessline.com