Customs and companies measure progress in their partnership

Open Wednesday in Douala, the Symposium on this 5-year-old partnership nourished great hopes.

"The Customs/Business Forum, 5 years after: what progress was made, indicators for evaluation and elements of perspective," was the theme of the three-day symposium opened yesterday at the Sawa hotel Douala.

This paves a way for a diagnosis to be made without complacency of the results of this marriage. The gains can be consolidated and deficiencies corrected for "greater efficiency", according to the wish of the representative of the Minister of finance Ludovic Ngbwa, SG of the Littoral region at the opening ceremony.

To do this, the Customs stands ready to listen to the concerns of private operators and to collect their expectations. That said, there is need to identify the progress made since the launch of the forum in March 2009.

Inter alia, the creation of a centre for telephone calls (at 8044) that informs users about regulations and customs clearance procedures; the signing of memoranda of understanding for the fight against smuggling and counterfeiting; transparency and predictability in international trade operations; the establishment of the evening partners, etc.

According to information obtained by CT, Gicam wished for example that the approaches and proposals of the different joint bodies (bodies and existing trades) be aligned to facilitate the operations of the port.

The Group also offers, among other things, the relocation of the forum in other parts of the country, in order to involve actors and customs officers in these locations.

The forum, recalled the DG of customs, Minette Libom li Likeng, is a framework that should allow them combine budgetary performance and facilitation of customs operations.

It will probably also be the opportunity to revive businesses who demonstrate "shyness at the level of the appropriation of tools at their disposal. The Dg of Customs did not exclude the possibility that these tools were perhaps not appropriate.