GIZ taps Customs’ experience to enhance its performance

Minette Libom Li Likeng gave a talk at the launching of the institution’s new strategy on Friday October 3, 2014.

GIZ Cameroon that works to assist the German government in achieving its objectives in international cooperation through demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development has set up a concept to spur its staff to efficiency.

The “One Mainstreaming Bien-être du personnel” as it is called, was officially launched at the GIZ head office in the Bastos neighbourhood in Yaounde on Friday October 3 with a lecture on “Dialogue, catalyst to efficiency at work” by the Director General of Cameroon’s Customs.

Minette Libom Li Likeng shared the experience of the customs administration through which satisfactory results have been fetched in revenue collection over the years. She said management strategies based on transparency, control and responsibility are behind the strides of the customs administration.

“It requires soliciting the adhesion of the staff through sensitisation, capacity building on professional ethics, performance and ethical practices. This is coupled with a good vision, communication, motivation, instilling confidence, listening and cooperation,” she said. The vision, she added, propelled the performance of the customs administration from FCFA 345 billion in 2005 to more than FCFA 600 billion as at 2013.

According to the Regional Director of GIZ Office in Yaounde, Dr. Andreas Kalk, “GIZ and KFW Cameroon are more and more convinced that the health and wellbeing of our staff is important to improve our performance at work and in this context we have identified a series of themes to be tackled in form of discussions.

These include how to improve work environment, how to protect oneself against Ebola, and what role social insurance plays in our working and social life,” He added that dialogue at work for better performance is an ongoing process. “Our role is to offer quality service to the cooperation with well equipped personnel and in good health,” Dr Kalk noted.