Africa's Customs seek funding

Customs officials in Central and West Africa have developed some strategies to achieve developmental goals aside seeking budget revenues from donors on Monday in Yaoundé.

Bernard Zbinden, representative of the secretary general of the World Customs Organization (WCO), said the projects are to improve the health of citizens, economic prosperity, eradicating poverty and minimize inequalities. He added that these goals are part of their modernization project and require funding.

According to Souleymane Sangaré, Director of the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) in the area of Customs Organisation of Central Africa and West (MDG-AOC), what is most lacking are not initiatives but the means to achieve these goals.

However, investors are not lining up at customs gates of the region for now. The WCO-WCA conference will begin in Yaoundé tomorrow.

This will be the venue for the 23 member countries of this organization to attract the interest of and create a network of donors for the reform and modernization of customs in this part of the continent.

In preparation towards this event, an introductory meeting was organized yesterday in Yaoundé to find out the technical and donor partners to target. The meeting was also to come up with some initiatives and develop strategies to implement projects.

The Director General of Cameroon Customs who also serves as the Vice President of the WCO-WCA, Minette Libom Likeng Li, said “it is an important step in the process of reform and modernization of our administrations that require stronger means in continuing our capabilities.”

She said modernization takes account of new trade facilitation requirements, control of goods and persons, security and protection of society and the environment. Thus, replications go in the direction of mobilization and optimization of resources for financing the reform and modernization programs.

Hence the theme of the conference will be: "Financing Constraints and Opportunities for customs modernization policies for facilitating and securing trade".

According to the vice president of MDG-AOC, also on board will be the role of communication and outreach efforts by Customs in the development and consolidation of savings.