Six customs posts shut down because of Boko Haram

Cameroon’s director general of Customs Minette Libom Li Likeng, has said six customs posts have been shut down in the country’s Far North Region following violence perpetrated by the Nigerian- Islamist sect, Boko Haram, leading to a monthly loss in custom revenue of close to 500MFCFA.

She was speaking in Yaoundé on Thursday 22 Jan. while presiding over activities to mark the 2015 World Customs day.

“In the Far North, we have closed borders, so really there is a decrease in revenue collected with Limany, Fotokol and Kousseri. But we succeeded to collect more than 3 billion francs in 2014. The revenue will have been doubled without the conflict” said Li Likeng.

Cameroon authorities have been figuring out how to mitigate the damaging effects of customs and custom revenue. A key approach is to ensure coordination among various partners, with the director general of Customs saying the police and gendarmes have to join hands with the custom administration in securing Cameroon borders.

She said efforts are already being made at the airports to safeguard custom revenue with the creation of anti-traffic units at the Douala and Yaoundé airports. This year’s world customs day was celebrated under the theme “Coordinated border management, an inclusion approach for connecting stakeholders.”