Seminar held to train Brazilian officials to manage Rio 2016 arrivals

A customs seminar was arranged to train Brazilian officials in wake of preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The objective of the three-day seminar was to teach officials to receive about 10,500 athletes and supporting officials. Several guests who has the experience of such events attended the seminar. Canadian Customs Attache in Brazil, Mark Bond explained his experience of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games and attache of Russian embassy in Brazil outlined her countries experience to deal issues during Sochi 2014.

The customs officials will have to face several thousands fans and tourists expected to arrive Brazil during the games along with professionals such as press and doping control. A customs official Lyne Goodwin from the UK described the experience of  Heathrow Airport how it dealt with its busiest period of London 2012 when No. of arrivals was 126,000. The officials who attended the seminar include general coordinator of international relations at the Inland Revenue Service Antonio Flavio Araujo along with adviser to the office of the Undersecretary of Customs and International Relations of the IRS, Ronaldo Medina and Joel Benin who is the head of the special advisory coordination of major sporting events of the Ministry of Sports.

Medina said this is the first time that an event has been conducted with foreigners who has the experience of managing major sporting events. He added the custom sector of the IRS is certainly facing a big challenge in the form of a big event. He further said they have arranged the Pan American Games in Rio in 2007 and the world cup last year which are noting as compared to Olympic and Paralympic Games in complexity.