Douala customs train personnel on new automated system

A workshop for the training of Sydonia World trainers to support the implementation of the Plan of Modernisation of the Customs (Papmod) was hosted at the Informatics Division of Cameroon customs. The training, according to the organizers, will provide participants with tools needed for managerial capacity of customs services.

One of the objectives of Papmod is to participate in the implementation of the actions for the adaptation by the customs administration to the national and international changes through effective customs procedures and the facilitation and harmonization of customs regimes and practices at international level.

It is thus in this particular framework that the automated system for customs has been implemented in Cameroon customs, to integrate the automation of customs clearance operations.

Through its various mutations (Sydonia 1, Sydonia 2, Sydonia, Sydonia World), it provides a computerized platform for the customs system adopted in more than 85 countries. "Sydonia World is a more user-friendly version with more features for the modernization of customs and trade facilitation." With the old system, the adaptation for each customs in the country was difficult. It is more suited to all regulations of Cameroon Customs', says Tahiri Kamal, Sydonia trainer and expert.

For the latter, the system could be operational as early as 2015. The Papmod is based on the partnership with the European Union which contributes 6.56 billion F, under the 10th EDF.

As for the system, its objectives are among others to guarantee the traceability of customs clearance operations, refresh the computer tool, automate the calculation of duties and taxes, improve the effectiveness of customs controls, ensure collection of recipes, guarantee the flow of commercial traffic by elimination of bottlenecks due to the slowness of the administrative procedures, etc.