TradeLogisticsinCameroon

December
2010

InvestmentClimateAdvisoryServices
WorldBankGroup

THE WORLD BANK World Bank Group

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Multilateral

About the Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank

Group

TheInvestmentClimateAdvisoryServicesoftheWorldBankGroupassistsgovernmentsofdeveloping
and transitional countries in enhancing the environment in which businesses operate. We provide
customized advice to improve and simplify regulations as well as to attract and retain investments,
helping clients create jobs, foster growth, and reduce poverty. We rely on close collaboration with
donors, in particular through the multidonor FIAS platform, and World Bank Group partnersthe
InternationalFinanceCorporation(IFC),theMultilateralInvestmentGuaranteeAgency(MIGA),andthe
WorldBank(IBRD)toleveragevalueanddelivertangibleresultsforclientgovernments.

TheTradeLogisticsScopingMemoistheresultofamissionconductedinCamerooninSeptember2010
by a team comprising of Ankur Huria from the Investment Climate Advisory Service and Moise Ekedi
Endene of the Investment Climate Africa team. Alice Ouedraogo (Task Team Leader Cameroon Doing
Business Reform project), William Gain (Senior Trade Logistics Specialist), and Gael Raballand (Senior
Economist,WorldBank)providedadditionalcomments.Thisreportwaspreparedunderthesupervision
ofUmaSubramanian(GlobalProductLeaderTradeLogistics).

Disclaimer

The Organizations (i.e. IBRD, IFC, and MIGA), using their best efforts in the time available, to provide
high quality services hereunder and have relied on information provided to them by a wide range of
other sources. However, they do not make any representations or warranties regarding the
completeness or accuracy of the information included this report, or the results which would be
achievedbyfollowingitsrecommendations.

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 SectionIIntroduction

TheDoingBusinessReformAdvisory(DBRA)teamisaunitoftheInvestmentClimateDepartmentofthe
World Bank Group that provides technical assistance to countries looking to improve their business
environment.TheDBRAUnitiscurrentlyprovidingtechnicalassistancetotheGovernmentofCameroon
this technical assistance covers different areas relevant to the investment climate, including trade
logistics.

In early 2010, as a result of Cameroons performance in the Doing Business Trading Across Borders
indicator (Rank 149) the Government of Cameroon through the Ministry of Economy, Planning and
RegionalDevelopment,requestedassistancefromtheDoingBusinessReformAdvisoryUnitinorderto
identify key issues and constraints in the business environment for trade and to provide solutions to
improveitsperformance.ThisMemoidentifies:

(i) KeyissuesandchallengesindocumentationandborderclearanceinCameroon;
(ii) Keyprocessesinborderclearance;and
(iii) Quickwinreformsfortheshortandmediumterm.

ThisMemoprovidesananalysisofkeyelementsofCameroonstradelogisticssupplychainasitwasin
September2010.TheinformationwascollectedinaweeklongscopingmissioncarriedoutbytheTrade
Logistics team from the Investment Climate Advisory Services, World Bank Group. The analysis and
recommendations are based on observations of the processes and procedures, and on interviews
conductedwithmultiplestakeholders.Thefocusofthismemoisonboththetradelogisticsprocessasit
isinpractice,aswellasitsperceptionbythebusinesscommunity.Thememoislimitedinscope1and
doesnotprovideacomprehensiveoverviewofCameroonsbordercontrolclearanceprocess;itrather
seekstohighlightkeyissuesthatneedtobeaddressedacrossthetradelogisticssupplychain,focusing
in particular on identifying quick wins including simplifying documentation processes, clearance
procedures,andreducingclearancetime.

CameroonsGrowthandEmploymentStrategypaperissuedinAugust2009aimstodevelopCameroon
as a "net exporter" of services by developing the use of ICT and science and technology parks2.
Additionally,forgrowthtobesustainableandcreateemployment,Cameroon'sdevelopmentandtrade
diversification policy will aim to enhance subregional and regional integration, as well as find new
outletsinEuropean,AmericanorAsianmarkets.Itwillbebasedchieflyoncropswhiletakingadvantage
oftheratherfavorableenvironmentandecology,andespeciallybyprogressingfromtheprimarytothe
secondary sector3 . Cameroon also aims to take the leadership role in the CEMAC subregion to
promote free movement of persons and goods. Cameroon grew at about 3.3 percent per annum
between2003and2008andfellto0.9percentin2009duringtheglobalrecession.Cameroonsgrowth
in the past five years has been strongly influenced by the activities of the oil and agricultural sectors

1
Thememodoesnotseektoanalyzelawsandregulationsthatgoverntrade.
2
GrowthandEmploymentPaper,Cameroon,august2009
3
GrowthandEmploymentPaper,Cameroon,august2009

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(wood,banana,cocoa,coffee,cottonandrubber),whoserevenuerepresents50%and25%ofexports,
respectively4.CameroonsExportsarestillnotdiversifiedandlimitedonlytotenproductsfordecades
without any increase in quantities exported reflecting supply constraints and emphasizing the lack of
contributionoftheexternalsector5.

Cameroonsgeographymeansitplaysamajortransitrole.Itsharesitsborderswithsixcountriesandits
main trading partner is Nigeria. Cameroon is part of CEMAC. Other members are Central African
Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome, Congo and Gabon. CEMACs purpose is to promote
economic integration among countries that share the CFA franc as a common currency. CEMAC
membershaveacommonexternaltariff(CET).Almost40percentoftheCEMACsGDPisaccountedfor
byCameroon.FasterprogressonregionalintegrationiscriticalforCameroonandtheregionforgreater
prosperity.Regionalintegrationprovidesbetteropportunitiestoconfrontdevelopmentchallengesand
more recently the impact of the crisis (decline in foreign investment and food crisis) as isolation in
economieswithsmallmarketsprohibitsgrowth,developmentandjobcreation.

Reducing nontariff barriers like document preparation and customs and technical control time will
directly impact Cameroons trade growth. As can be seen from the table below for countries in the
region including Cameroon, nontariff barriers present a considerable burden to trade. For example,
accordingtotheDoingBusiness2011report,inCameroon,73percentofthetimetotradeisconsumed
bythesetwofactors.

Ghana Gabon Cameroon Nigeria Eq.Guinea UAE

Day Day Day Day Day
s % Days % s % s % s % s %

Ranking 89 134 155 146 137 3

NumberofImport
Document 7 8 12 9 7 5
Document 59 45 50 46 50 57
Preparation 17 % 10 % 13 % 19 % 24 % 4 %
Customsand 17 27 23 29 29 14
TechnicalControls 5 % 6 % 6 % 12 % 14 % 1 %
PortandTerminal 14 18 19 12 17 14
Handling 4 % 4 % 5 % 5 % 8 % 1 %
InlandTransport 10 12 14
andHandling 3 % 2 9% 2 8% 5 % 2 4% 1 %
Total 29 22 26 41 48 7
Figure1:TradingAcrossBordersindicatorimportdata20116
Source:DoingBusiness2011

4
AfricanDevelopmentBank,2010
5
GrowthandEmploymentPaper,Cameroon,August2009
6
Thescopeandtimeconstraintsforthismissionhavemeantthatotherindicatorslikeunofficialpaymentsetchavenotbeen
analyzedforthepurposeofthismemo.

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Simplified, transparent trade procedures are a key component of good trade policy and vital for
economicgrowth.Outdatedbureaucraciessuppresstradeandentrepreneurship,discourageinvestment
and encourage corruption. Small and mediumsized enterprises are particularly vulnerable to these
difficulties, because these costs represent a larger proportion of turnover than for larger firms.
Therefore,alackoftransparencyinrulesandproceduresisoftenenoughtodissuadebusinessesfrom
exportingaltogether.Thebottomlineisthatinefficienttradeproceduresareclearlyabarriertotrade.
Researchshowsthata10percentreductioninexporttimepotentiallyincreasesexportby6.1percent
forsubSaharanAfrica7.Thisisoftenthedifferencebetweendoingbusinessandnotdoingbusiness,and
improving facilitation will amplify trade potential in Cameroon. Consequently, improving the
import/export environment in Cameroon, in particular by reducing the number of documents and
simplifyingproceduresfortradewouldbeanimportantshorttermmeasureforimprovingtheoverall
businessenvironment.

The World Bank Group is very active in the trade and transport facilitation area in Cameroon and
CEMAC. A CEMAC Trade and Transport facilitation project aims to create efficient transit corridors
betweenDoualaandBanguiandDoualaandNDjamena.ACentralAfricabackboneprojecttoprovide
accesstomoderncommunicationtechnologies,while,aWestandCentralAfricaAirTransportprojectto
improvecompliancewithinternationalstandardsintheairtransportarea.TheEuropeanUnion,through
the Program to Support the Customs Modernization Plan in Cameroon (PAMOD), the World Customs
Organization with its capacity building initiative, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), which is responsible for the computerization of customs services are also
assistingCameroonCustoms.

Therestofthismemoisorganizedasfollows.SectionIIprovidesabriefdiscussionofthekeyfindingsin
the trade transactions process (with a focus on imports) in Cameroon and is supplemented by a
descriptionofborderclearanceprocesses.SectionIIIoutlinesrecommendationstofurtherimprovethe
tradelogisticssystem.

SectionIIKeyfindings
(A) Stakeholdersrolesandcoordination

AlargenumberofstakeholdersareinvolvedinthetradelogisticsprocessinCameroon.42ofthemare
membersoftheNationalCommitteeforTradeFacilitation!Thissectionfocusesontherolesofselected
agencies/partiesanddiscussessomeissuesandchallengesfacedinthetradetransactionprocess.

NationalCommitteeforTradeFacilitation

The National Committee for Trade Facilitation was first established as the National Committee for
MaritimeTradeFacilitationin2001andreportsdirectlytothePrimeMinister(PM).TheCommitteeis
comprised of 42 stakeholders from across the Trade Logistics spectrum. They meet regularly (every 3

7
Forthcomingresearchpaper(Subramanian,AndersonandLee(2010)

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months)todiscussissuesrelatedtoclearanceofgoodsandmakerecommendationsforimprovementto
the system. The recommendations are sent to the PM who is responsible for their implementation.
Implementedrecommendationsarevalidatedthroughanindependentvalidationcommittee.Reviews
and studies of the trade process are continuously conducted. These help continuously gauge the
efficiencyofthesystem.Forinstance,ananalysisconductedoftheleading20importershasshownthat
cargocanbeclearedwithin7daysevenunderthecurrenttradelogisticsprocess.These20importers
accountforalmost40percentoftrade.TheAssociationofEmployersofCameroon(GICAM)chairsthe
Committee.

While the committee has been renamed with the phrase maritime dropped, the new stakeholders
includingtheairportauthorityandthosefromtheroadtransportsectorhavenotyetformallyjoined
andassuchthecommitteeisstillfunctioningasamaritimecommittee.

GuichetUniqueDesOperationsDuCommerceExterieurGie(GUCE)

TheGuichetUniqueDesOperationsDuCommerceExterieurGie(GUCE)wasestablishedinJuly1999to
serve as a one stop shop for external trade. The objectives were to speed up trade transactions by
bringing all agencies and stakeholders under one roof and thus reduce documentation time, improve
interactionbetweenagenciesandserveasaninformationhubfortraders/usersontradeprocedures.It
is housed in a building shared with other agencies including the Douala Port Authority (DPA).
StakeholdersThePhytosanitaryservice,TheNationalCocoaandCoffeeBoard(NCCB),Customs,DPA,
Banks,SGSallhaveofficesatGUCEandarelinkedtotheirparentagencies/organizations.GUCEhasa
generalassemblyandaboardwhosemembershipcomprisesthegovernmentandusergroupsandtheir
organizations.

AttheGUCEbuildingthereceptionisthefirstinteractionusershaveonenteringtheonestopshop.
ThiscounterdetermineswhatservicesarerequiredforaparticularconsignmentandinreturnGUCE
receivesafeeforservicesrendered.Whileitwassetuptosimplifyproceduresinamanualmanner,itis
expectedthattransactionswouldbeelectronicinnatureinthefuture.Towardsachievingthatgoal,two
procedures have been automated these are the sharing of the manifest between Port and Customs
andtheprocessforusedcarclearance.8otherproceduresarebeingautomated(includingtheissuance
oftheinsurancecertificate).Whiletheautomationprocessisongoingallactorsarelikelytoremainat
GUCE to minimize technical issues for some time i.e. many agencies do not have sufficient
computerization or resources to manage challenges that are part of functioning in an electronic
environment.GUCEstaffarethusonhandtohelpwithanysuchissues.

Whentheprocesswasdesigned,atimelimittoprocessthetransactionwasdeterminedindiscussion
witheachagency.AtthestartoftheproceduretheGUCEproceduresheetisattachedtotheconsignees
documents that seek to measure the performance of the agencies i.e. time taken to service clients.
Reasons for variations from prescribed limits and actions to be taken are often discussed in GUCE
stakeholder meetings. Additionally, GUCE conducts analysis and studies on trade transaction
performance.Keyreportsinclude(i)Synthesesurlesdelaisdepassageportuaire,Analyseetsuivides
delais(JanMar2010,&2009)undertakentomeasuretheamountoftimeittooktoclearcargothrough

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theportofDouala;(ii)Evaluationdesactionsdedmatrialisationdesprocduresetdintgrationdes
systems Phase 1 Annexe 1 au rapport dtude prliminaire, Recueil de textes lgislatifs et
rglementaireswhichisalistofthelegislationissuedbyvariousagenciesthatgoverntheflowoftrade
inCameroon.

NationalShippersCouncil

TheNationalShippersCouncilwasfirstcreatedin1975tocatertoprotectshippersinterests,negotiate
transporttariffs,mediatebetweenitspartners,anddisseminatetradestatistics.Then,theGovernment
ofCameroonwasdirectlyinvolvedintradingandshippingandhencetheCouncilwasusedtoprotectits
interestsinnegotiatingfreightrateswiththeshippinglines.Itwaslaterreorganizedandinitscurrent
roleithelpstrainimportersandexportersonvarioustraderelatedprocesses,providessurveysontraffic
and trade data, publishes statistics and other publications like newsletters, and importantly issues a
cargotrackingnoteandisthusdirectlyinvolvedinthetradelogisticsprocess.Thiscargotrackingnote
contains consignment details from the bill of lading and invoice (and as such is duplicative in nature).
Thecouncilisfinancedfromthefeesassessedfromissuingthisnote.

ChamberofCommerce

The chamber of commerce issues the certificate of origin (for non agricultural products) and charges
upto 12 USD per certificate depending on the type of product. The exporter brings to the chambers
office an invoice, proof of company registration, proof that he/she has paid his/her annual business
registrationandisissuedacertificatewithinthesameday.Between50007000certificatesareissued
annually.

TheAssociationofCameroonInsuranceCompanies(ASAC)

Theinsurancecertificatewasmademandatorythroughthepassageofadecreein1993topromotethe
local insurance industry. As such the Association of Cameroon Insurance Companies (ASAC) plays a
directroleinthetradelogisticsprocess.

MinistryofTrade(MoT)

TheMoTcarriesouttwomajorrolesinthetradelogisticsprocessinCameroon.Itisresponsibleforthe
annualregistrationofeconomicoperatorsforimportandexport.Theregistrationcosts50,000CFAand
can be renewed for 10,000 CFA thereon. The process for registration an application for registration
alongwithotherdocumentationi.e.companyregistration,taxcertificatesaresubmittedtotheMoTfor
registration.ThesecondroleoftheMoTistoapproveimportsofupto2millionCFA(withimports>2
milliongoingthroughthePSIprocess).

DepartmentofFisheries,MinistryofLivestock,FisheriesandLivestockIndustries(MINEPIA)

Through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Directorate, this ministry is responsible for a host of functions
includingonerelatedtotradeissuingimportandexportlicensesforaquaculturespecies.TheMinistry
determinesthequotaforfishimportationbasedonvariousfactors(i.e.assessmentofstoragecapacity

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available) and issues import licenses accordingly. Cameroon imports nearly 135,000 tons of fish while
thedomesticcatchisabout64,000tons.

PhytosanitaryService,MinistryofAgricultureandRuralDevelopment(MoARM)

The phytosanitary service plays an important role in the trade process for plants, plant products, and
pesticides.AnysuchproductneedsaclearancefromthedepartmentbeforeCustomsdutiesarelevied.
TheMoARMhasanofficeinGUCEwheretheapplicantbringshisdocumentstheprocessisdescribed
intheprocessmapinsectionIIC.Physicalinspectionsareperformedalmost50percentofthetime.In
addition,theMinistryinspects thestorageconditionsonadailybasistocheckproduce/cargostorage
conditionsparticularlyhumidityandfloorconditions.Certaincargoisalsoofteninspectedonboardthe
vesselandareonly unloadedifitmeetsquality criteria.TheyalsoissuecertificatesforCEMACtransit
countries.If samplingisrequired,it canoftenlead todelaysasthephytosanitaryservicelacksquality
laboratories.

NationalPortsAuthority(APN/NPA)

TheNationalPortsAuthorityhasthreemajorrolesintheCameroontradelogisticsprocess.It

DeterminesthevisionforthefuturebydevelopingtheNationalPortMasterPlan
ControlstheregulationforallportsinCamerooni.e.asupervisionrole
Focusesonbuildingportcompetitivenessbytryingtoidentifyareasofimprovement

TheNPAreportstotheMinistryofTransport.TheAirportAuthorityinCameroonisaseparatebody8.

Port and other related stakeholders Port Authority of Douala (PAD); Douala International Terminal
(DIT);AssociationofProfessionalStevedoresofCameroon(GPAC)9

TheportofDoualaisariverportsituatedonthesoutheasternshoreoftheWouriRiverestuary,onthe
Atlanticcoastabout130miles(210km)westofYaound.TheportofDouala,located24kmupstream
onthelefthandbankontheRiverWouri,handlesmostofCameroonsinternationaltrade.Theporthas
11cargoberths,3containerberths,2berthsforfreshproduceand1tankerberth.Trafficattheporthas
been impacted by the global recession. In 2008, PAD saw annual traffic of 2857 ships of which 1058
wereoceangoingcomparedto3299shipsin2007,ofwhich1057wereoceangoing10.2009sawimport
volumes of 5.2 million metric tons of general cargo, 1.8 million metric tons of export cargo, and 0.72
millionmetrictonsofcargofor/fromCEMACcountries.Therapidgrowthofcontainerizedcargohasled
to some displacing of bulk and conventional cargo at Douala for imports. Major trading partners for
Cameroon are France, China, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Brazil, Italy and the United States.
Forestry products at over 45 percent11 are the dominant exports with cocoa, bananas, cotton, rubber
andaluminumingotandpigironcomprisingtheothermajorexportsfromCameroon.Petroleumandby

8
Aircargoclearancewasnotassessedinthismission
9
DITmanagesonlycontainersandbreakbulkandGPACincludesallcompaniesinvolvedinbulk(andSOCOMARforrollonroll
off)
10
TheCNSCbookofStatistics,CameroonNationalShippersCouncil,2008.
11
GPAC,2008

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products,cementandclinker(cementrawmaterial),rice,wheat,fish,andaluminumbauxitecomprise
themajorimports12.

Figure2:PortofDouala

Theportisowned100percentbythestate.Theboardofdirectorshasbothpublicandprivatesector
members. The port authority has outsourced all handling to stevedoring companies. There are 14
stevedoring companies and are members of the Association ofProfessionalStevedores of Cameroon
(GPAC). Five companies are local while the rest are multinationals. There is no license required for
stevedoringthoughtherequestissubmittedforadvicetotheOrientationCouncil,aconsultativeboard
of ports agencies and stevedores. The port has rented out the space to the stevedoring association
whichrentsoutspacetoitsmembers.Assuchtheportcollectsrentsfromthesecompaniesandisnot
involved in many day to day operations. Douala International Terminal (DIT) was created in 2003 and
took over control of container terminal in 2005. The services offered are ship handling and ground
managementofthecontainerparkwhichis85percentoftheirbusiness(byvolume)withtherestbeing
bulkcargoandreefers.

ThePortAuthorityhasimplemented aPortManagementSystem(CARGO) thathasbeenoperational

since 2008. Exchange protocols and physical interconnection between GUCE and the Port System are
today operational. The terminal is quite congested (88% occupancy rate). The Terminal Operating

12
GPAC,2008

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Company(DoualaInternationalTerminalDIT)implementedanewTerminalOperatingSystem(TOS)in
2009.Anewsystemisalsoinplacetoenableelectronicbookingofcontainerdeliveriesbyconsignees.
SGS, has recently deployed an online tracking system (tradeworks) accessible to Customs and
Shippers13.Theportauthorityhasconductedadiagnosticofthedifferentsystemsusedwithintheport
by various stakeholders (including stevedoring companies) and want to unify and create a port
communitysystem(PCS)by2011.Technicalstudieshavealsobeenconductedandtwofirmshavebeen
chosentoimplementthePCS.

Figure3:DITterminal

Portchargesaredecidedbyatechnicalcommitteecomprisedof15members(stakeholders).Portgives
11 days for free storage after which it charges demurrage. Most stakeholders felt port charges were
lowerthanwarehousingcostsinDoualacityandthisleadstoatendencytouseportasacargostorage
shed. Currently, ports charge for every bill of lading i.e. issuing over 70,000 bills per year for those
declarations.

PreshipmentInspectionAgency/SGS

13
WorldBankmissionreports,Raballand,2010

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Preshipmentinspections(PSI)wereintroducedinCameroonin1988/89forpreimportationinspection
at country of export; used vehicle importation and forest and forest product exportation. The key
reasons for using PSI in Cameroon are (i) classification and valuation; (ii) quality and quantity for
Customspurposes;and(iii)andimporteligibility14.

Cameroon exempts imports under 2 million CFA from PSI. The PSI process is described in the process
mapinsectionIIC.TheDeclarationdImportation(DI)issuedisvalidfor9monthsandcanbeextended
for3moremonths.ThevalueofimportscanexceedtheDIbyupto10percent.Inspectionfeescollected
are directly paid into a Government of Cameroon account. SGS the contractor is paid a fee based on
revenuesraisedindutiesandtaxes.SGSrequirestheinvoice,packinglistandbillofladingtoissuethe
finalreport.Importershavetheoptiontoappealthroughanappealmechanismthatallowsimportersto
challenge the valuation. This challenge is first lodged with SGS and if agreement is not reached it is
escalated to an appeals committee comprising of various stakeholders that includes Customs, SGS,
traders,andcustomsbrokerswhomeetinYaoundtotakeadecisionontheappeal.

Customs/Douane

Cameroon Customs has a similar role to traditional Customs agencies revenue collection, trade
facilitation and security. However, due to outsourced preshipment inspections a key part of the
revenue collection role i.e. classification and valuation is of a limited nature. Some key features and
issuesinCustomscontrolare

SYDONIA Customs has been implementing SYDONIA ++ since 2007. Major stations have
implementedSYDONIA.However,SYDONIAsystemshavenotbeeninterlinkedwitheachother.
At this stage the primary objective seems to be the full utilization of SYDONIA ++ and all its
modulesandassuchthereisnoplantoupgradetoSYDONIAWorld/anothersystem15.
Performance based contracts Customs has also been piloting a unique performance based
contractsystemforclearance(withtheassistanceoftheWorldBankseefootnote15forlink)
which has led to large improvements in clearance times i.e. 83 percent of declarations are
currentlyprocessedonthedayoftheirregistrationatDoualaPortI16comparedto66percent
beforethepilotandincreaseinrevenuesbyUS$15million.Customsfrontlineofficerssigneda
contractwiththeHeadofcustomsinCameroon,committingtoreachingthresholdsandtargets
for eight indicators (four related to trade facilitation and four related to bad practices and
fraud).Indicatorshavebeenmonitoredcloselyandresultsdiscussedduringtheprocess.Atthe
endofeachmonth,individualresultswerediscussedbetweencustomsofficesmanagementand
frontline officers. Indicators that measured the improvement in trade facilitation include the
percentage of declarations processed on the day of their registration, declarations processed

14
PSIisoftenemployedfortwo reasonstopreventcapitalflight(whereforexcontrolsexist)and/orlossesingovernment
revenue through underinvoicing. In Cameroon, it is the latter. Under the Uruguay Round Agreement it was agreed that
countriesusingtheservicesofPSIcompaniesforverificationofpricesshoulddosoonlyfortemporaryperiodsoftimewitha
longtermobjectiveofreducingtheirdependenceontheseservicesbydevelopingCustomscapacitytoperformvaluation.
15
SIDONIA++willalsoneedtobeconnectedtotheproposedESWthemissiondidnotassessCustomsplansforthesame
16
DoualaPortIisresponsibleforprocessingcontainerizedimportsintendedforconsumption.

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 five or more days after their registration, and those not processed within one month of their
registration17.
Risk management (RM) RM at Customs is still at very early stages of implementation. A risk
managementunitwascreatedinJune2006whenscannerswereprocured.Theinitialobjective
wastoselectgoodsforscanning.Channelsassignedareprimarilyyellow(documentinspection)
orred(physicalinspectionofgoods)withalmost30percentofgoodsbeingallocatedred.Cargo
riskisdeterminedthroughananalysisofthedeclarationandmanifestwithanaimofpreventing
fraud.Factorsthatdeterminechannelincludeoriginofgoods,consignee,andtypeofgood.All
secondhandcarshoweverarephysicallyinspected.Goodsselectedarethenscanned.However,
nofeeischargedforscanning.Ingeneralriskmanagementapplicationisinitsearlystagesa
risk database has not yet been developed. The risk management unit is currently being
restructured and it was not clear whether Customs is drafting/revising a risk management
implementation strategy. Additionally, the SYDONIA system seems to have technical issues in
programming channels. Inspections are often performed if goods have not been inspected at
thePSIstageorelectronicallyscannedatDouala.Whileselectedimportersareoftenallowedto
movecargototheirpremisesunderaCustomsseal,finalclearanceafterinspectionscanoften
bedelayedforupto2weeks.ScanningandinspectionsareoftenadditionaltothefactthatPSI
hasbeenimplementedforalargenumberofimports>2millionCFA.TheCEMACregionhasa
common Customs code and as Cameroon develops a modern risk management system it may
requireamodificationofthecodeattheCEMAClevel18.

OtherkeystakeholdersintheCameroonTradeLogisticsprocessinclude

TheChamberofCommerce,IndustryandMinesofCameroon(CCIMC);
TheAssociationofEmployersofCameroon(GICAM);
TheShippingAgentsandShipOwnersUnionofCameroon(UCAM);
TheLicensedCustomsandForwardingAgentsUnionofCameroon(SCADTC);
TheCameroonImportersandExportersTradeUnion(SCIEC);
TheCameroonAssociationofExporters(GEC);
TheAssociationofProfessionalCreditInstitutionsofCameroon(APECCAM);
TheCameroonAssociationofImporters(GIC);
TheNationalUnionofRoadTransportersofCameroon(SNTRC);
TheCameroonBananaAssociation(ASSOBACAM);
TheUnionofTransportandTransitAuxiliaries(SYNAUTRATA).

17
CameroonIncreasesCustomsRevenuesbyImplementingPerformanceContracts
18
CEMACCustomsCodewasnotassessed.

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Figure4:ScanneratPortofDouala

(B) Othertopicsinborderclearance

Simultaneousinspections

Other technical control agencies are also involved in the physical inspection process. They conduct
simultaneousinspectionsonboardtheshipandwharfundertherecentArreteN143of30thAugust2010
issued by the Prime Ministers Office. The decree authorizes the Ministry of Commerce to coordinate
technical control inspections for import cargo. Agencies involved include environment, agriculture,
fisheries,forestsandplants.Whileinspectionsneedtobesimultaneousagenciesmaychargeseparate
fees.

Transit

AseparatetransitregimeexistsinagreementwithotherCEMACcountries.Abondisexecutedatpoint
ofentryi.e.portforimportandreleasedatpointofexiti.e.atborderwithChad/CAR.Earlierthetransit
cargorequiredbothinspectionsandanescort.Inspectioncost200,000CFAwhileescortscost250,000
CFA. However, currently a guarantee has been executed which is based on the value of goods. GPS

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systemshavebeenimplementedandtrucksarealsomonitoredthroughthatsystem.Onpresentationof
deliveryofgoods,thebondisreleasedwithin24hours.TheEUiskeenonassistingallCEMACcountries
tomovetoacommontransitsystem(usingSYDONIA).

ElectronicCommerce

Electronic commerce and payment laws have been passed in December 2009. An analysis by GUCE
showsthatasidefromthenationallawsonecommerceandsecurity140otherlawswouldneedtobe
amendedtoallowforafulluseofelectronicdocument,signatureandpaymentsystems.

ElectronicSingleWindow(ESW)

GUCEsreportonpaperlesstradeandintegrationofsystemsfromJuly2010seekstomapcurrentstate
ofautomation(includingtechnicalcapacityandinfrastructure),mapfuturestrategyforautomationand
systemintegrationanddetermineresourcesrequiredtoachievethosegoals.TheNationalCommittee
for Trade Facilitation is to meet to discuss details on the implementation of the ESW. One of the key
decisionsthatneedtobemaderegardingtheimplementationofanESWisonwheretohouseit.GUCE
is currently already automating procedures and is a prime candidate. At the same time the port is
evaluatingvariousportcommunitysystemsandiskeenonthePCSbeingadefaultESW.Italsoseems
thattheNationalShippersCouncilwhosecurrentmandateisdiscussedinsectionIIAiskeenonhosting
andmaintainingtheESW.

(C) Importandexportclearanceprocesses

SeeimportprocessflowatDoualaPortinFigure519below

19
CBCustomsBroker;SGSPreshipmentinspectionagency;SAShippingAgent;DITDoualaInternational
Terminal;SCStevedoringCompanies;ICInsuranceCompanies;NSCNationalShippersCouncil;PADPort
AuthorityofDouala;

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Actors Procedure/Action Data/DocumentsRequired/Issued Time Cost Comments
C
Tmin Tmax Cmin max


Prearrivalprocedures:PSI
requirement(goodsbeing
importedwithaCFAvalueof>
2million)
Documentsneeded:(i)Proforma
invoice;(ii)Authorizations/
TheCBbringsdocumentstoSGS Licenseswhererequiredfromthe
toopenanimportlicenseat MinistryofIndustryetc;(iii)
least72hourspriortoarrivalof CertificateofConformity(93
CB, ship.Thiscanalsobedonefor products);(iv)Packinglist;(v)Bill Mostgoods>2millionCFAare
SGS selectusersonthewebsite. oflading/seawaybill; subjecttoPSI

Valuationisconfirmed/agreed Thisprocessisoften
upon,inspectionfeesarepaid dependentondocuments
SGS, intoMinistryofFinancebank Documentissued:Declaration'd' providedbysupplierandthe
CB, accountandSGSissuesan importation(Importlicense)witha requirementforanactual
Banks ImportLicense uniquenumber physicalinspectionprocess
TheCB/importerpreparesa
requestforverificationafter

CB, receivingtheimportlicenseto
SGS SGS Documentissued:TemporaryAVI Priortoshiparrival
SGSreviewsdocumentsand
thencontactsitsofficein
SGS exportingcountry

15|P a g e

 SGSinexportingcountry
contactssupplierandfixes
SGS inspectiontime
Documentinspectionandoften 2 110,000 0.95%
5days
SGS physicalinspectionisconducted days CFA CIF

Prearrivalprocedures:Cargo
Manifest
Thisisnotalwaysthe
Cargomanifest(CM)is casebutwhendone24
electronicallytransmittedto hoursbeforearrivalof
SA ShippingAgent ship.
Inmostcases,thisstep
ShippingAgentsubmitscopyof 1 happensafterarrivalof
CMtoCustoms/Douane hour 2days ship.

Prearrivalprocedures:Customs
Clearanceinitiation
CBinitiatesCustomsclearance
CB, process.Customsdeclarationis
Douane madeonSYDONIA
IfSGSinspectionhas
beendoneatcountryof
export,oftenaphysical
inspectionisnot
Douaneassignsredoryellow 1 necessaryiftheSGSseal
Douane channel hour 1day isintact.

16|P a g e


Cargoarrivalandunloading
VesselArrivesatDouala
DouaneAgentboardsshipand 1 8
Douane validatesmanifestagainstcargo hour hours
Cargoisthenunloadedby
DIT/oneoftheStevedoring 1
SC/DIT companies hour 1day
Cargoisstoredatoneofthe
warehousesattheport 1
SC (managedprivately) hour 1day

Whilesomeofthis
documentationassembly
cantakeplacepriortoship
arrival,inpracticethatis
Documentationassembly oftennotthecase.
Documentsrequired:Invoice,
CB,IC, CBpaysandcollectsinsurance PackingListDocumentissued: 1
Banks document Insurancedocument hour 1day
TheCBnowtakeshis
documentstotheNational Documentsrequired:Invoice;Bill
ShipperCouncilwhichissuesa ofLading.
CB, CargoTrackingNoteinreturn DocumentIssued:CargoTracking 1 100
NSC forapayment Note hour 1day Euros

5 11
TotaltimepreGUCE days days

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 GUCEProcesses
CustomsBrokerbrings
documentstoGUCEand
CB, paysaprocessingfeefor
GUCE services.
TheCBreceivesaprocedure
sheetwhichdetailsthe
CB, procedurestheconsignment
GUCE hastogothrough
CBgoestothePADoffice
andsubmitdocumentsto
CB, determinechargestobe
PAD paid
CB, InvoiceofPADcharges
PAD generatedfortheCB
CB, CBgoestothebankwithin
Bank GUCEtopayportcharges
GuceProcesses:Technical
Control
Documentsrequired:Commercial
invoice;Freightinvoice(iffreight
chargesnotoninvoice);Insurance
certificate;Billoflading/Seaway
bill;Packinglist.Additional
documents:Certificates(sanitary,
phytosanitary,veterinary,
qualitative,technical);The
domiciledImportDeclaration(ID)
(fortransactionsbetweenCFAF1 IdeallyOSSprocedurescould
and2milliononly);Declaration'd' beperformedpriortoarrivalof
importation(Importlicense)for 0 1 12000 cargobutthisisnotdonefor
CFA>2million hours hours CFA mostimportation
Documentissued:GUCEProcedure 0 1
sheet hours hours
Documentsrequired:Seawaybill
andanyothersneededto 0 1
determinecharges. hours hour
0 2
Documentissued:PADInvoice hours hours
0 2
hours hours

FortechnicalcontrolCB 200300consignmentsfor
takesdocumentstothe exportand75120
respectiveofficeatGUCE consignmentsforimportare
i.e.PHYTOdescribedbelow handledbytheofficedaily

18|P a g e

 Documentsrequired:(i)Billof
Brokerbringsrequired Lading;(ii)Othertechnical
documentsto documentonspecificsof
CB, Phytosanitaryofficeat producei.e.planthealth
Phyto. GUCE certificate;(iii)application 1000CFA
Documentsareanalyzed
bytheMinistry's 1 8
Phyto. InspectionOfficer hours hours
Dependingonproduct
risk,aphysicalinspection 1 8
Phyto. maybeperformed hours hours

Samplingandtestingis
dependentontheproduct.For
Ifitisdeterminedtesting instanceitcantakeupto15
isrequired,asampleis 1 15 daystotestpesticidesdueto
Phyto. taken hours days thepaucityofqualitylabs.
Ifgoodsareapproveda
clearancecertificateis Documentissued:Phytosanitary 1 8
Phyto. issuedtotheCB certificate hours hours
Inparallel,theCustoms
Brokercancontinueto
submitdocumentsto
otherserviceswithin
CB GUICE

12000CFA
CBexitswithall +stamp
procedurescompletedat 1 dutiesif
theOSS hour 3days 12000CFA any

19|P a g e


FinalDocumentAssembly
CBbringsalldocumentstoSGS
torequestaviattestationof
CB,SGS verificationofimportation
FinalCustomsClearance
CB, CBbringsalldocumentsto
Douane Customsforclearance
Yellowchannelgoodsgo
Douane throughadocumentinspection
Redchannelgoodsgothrough
thescanner.Scannedgoods
mayalsogothroughaphysical
Douane inspection
CB, CBmakespaymentforall
Bank duties,taxesandfees
Documentsrequired:(i)Invoice;(ii)
BillofLading;(iii)Declaration;(iv)
Insurancecertificate;(v)Cargo Whiletheavicanbe
TrackingNote;(vi)Technical obtainedpriortoshiparrival
controldocuments thisisoftennotthecaseas
Documentissued:Aviattestation 8 somedocumentsrequired
ofverificationofimportation hours 2days maynothavebeenobtained.
Documentsrequired:(i)Invoice;(ii)
BillofLading;(iii)Declaration;(iv)
Aviattestationofverificationof
importation;(v)PackingList;(vi)
Technicalcontrolcertificates
(phyto,conformityetcifany);(vii) Akeyconstraintisthethe
Portpaymentreceipt;(viii) physicalsubmissionof
Certificatesoforigin;(ix)insurance; clearancedocumentsto
(x)manifestnevariatur Customsaftershiparrival
1
hour 1day
1 SGSandDouaneconductthe
hour 3days scanning
Documentissued:Customs 1
Clearance hour 1day
20|P a g e


PortClearanceprocess
Attheport,theCBpresentsthe Documentsrequired:Allclearance
clearancedocumentsandmakes documentsrelatedtoconsignment
payment.Exitnote/delivery fromtheprocessabove.
CB, noteisprintedandvalidatedat Documentissued:Exit/delivery
SC thegatebyshippingagents. note
1day 2days
Thisexitnote/deliverynoteis
shownatthegatetoexitthe Customsgivesclearanceahead
premises.Separateexitnotes ofotheragenciesandhence
CB, arerequiredfromvarious separateexitnotesare
PAD agenciestoleavetheport. required(cehck)

2
PostGUCEtime days 8days

7 19
Totalclearancetime days days
Figure5:Importprocess,DoualaPort,sourcestakeholderinterviews

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The export clearance process for agribusiness produce (coffee/cocoa) has many similarities to the
processesdescribedabove20andisalsoburdensome.However,therearesomespecificstepsthatneed
tobeundertakensomeofwhicharedescribedbelow

The exporter contacts the private contractor responsible for technical and quality control
technicalcontrolagencies(ONCC)duringcontractpreparation,
Oncetheexporterhasreceivedalldocumentation,hesubmitsthemtotheclearingagentwho
preparesthe(D6)declaration.
Documentsrequired:(i)Registrationreceipt;(ii)Qualityform;(iii)Transitorder
TheclearingagentthentakestheentiresetofdocumentstoSGSwhoissuetheDeclarationd'
exportation
Followingthis,theclearingagentmakesportpayments(1298CFAperton)
TheclearingagentthensubmitsbankdocumentstoGUCE(forforexcontrol).AtGUCEhealso
goesthroughaprocesstoobtainaphytosanitarycertificate.
InparalleltotheGUCEprocesstheCB/exporterbringsanexportinvoiceandotherdocuments
totheChamberofCommerce.OnpaymentofafeehereceiveshisCertificateofOrigin.
Documentsrequired:Invoice,companyregistration.
Documentissued:Certificateoforigin(424hours,12USD)
PaymentsarethenmadetoStevedores,ports,CNCC,andONCCatthesametime


(D) Bindingconstraintsidentifiedthroughprocessmapping/scopingmission

ThesheernumberofstakeholdersinthetradetransactionprocessinCameroonleadstotheneedfora
largeamountofcoordinationandcooperation.TheNationalCommitteeforTradeFacilitationandGUCE
havebeenwelcomedevelopmentsthathaveovertheyearshelpedimprovetradelogisticsperformance
inCameroonbyimprovinginstitutionalcoordination.Therearealsootherjointactivitiesconductedby
bordercontrolagenciestherecentdecreebythePrimeMinistertoconductsimultaneousinspections
tobecoordinatedbytheMinistryofCommerceandTradethatareapositivedevelopment.

However,therearestillalargenumberofissuesintrade clearance that wouldhelpreduceclearance

time.Threemajorissuesidentifiedinthescopingmissionarediscussedbelow

(1) PrevalenceofHardcopyDocumentsforInformationExchange
Manual bill processing Most agencies that require payments still submit individual bills that
whenpaidarereceiptedindividually.ForinstanceGUCEbillsonaperBillofLading(BL)basis.
SomeclearingagentsoftenpresentalargenumberofBLs.However,paymentstillneedstobe
madeindividuallyforeachBL.
CargoManifestSubmittedbyshippinglinesagentinhardcopiestoCustomsandPortAuthority
(via Customs) because the agencies claim they have no legal authority to accept21 although

20
Afullprocessmapoftheexportprocesswasnotundertakenandassuchonlyselectprocessesarereported.
21
NationallawsonelectroniccommercewerepassedinDecember2009.

22|P a g e

 some have technical capacity to receive documents electronically. Manual handling requires
time, is prone to errors and slows down the start of the terminal handling and clearance
process;
Customs declaration Although the trader or his clearing agent can submit the declaration
electronically,SGSandCustomsrequirethatitmustbeaccompaniedbyhardcopydocuments.
This requirement subtracts the benefits that electronic automation is able to confer, which is
theremovalofhardcopydocuments.WhileSYDONIA++canbeconfiguredtobeabletoreceive
scanned copies of supporting documentation, current SYDONIA implementation and roll out
levelsimplythatthisstepisstillfaraway.
StakeholdersatGUCE:WhileGUCEisembarkingonautomatingvariousproceduresattheone
stop shop, most government Departments, such as Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade,
Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Livestock Industries and other agencies have very little
automationorprocessesstreamlinedforcomputerization.
Additionally, while the national legal framework to recognize documents exchanged
electronically/esignatureswaspassedinDecember2009mosttraderelatedagencieshavenot
madeanyprogresstoactuallydoingso.

Whiletheinterconnectivityamongtheagenciesislowtechmeans(hardcopyinformationexchange),it
wasalsonotedthattheinhouseprocessesoftheseagenciesarenotthatmuchaheadeither,asnoted
below.

(2) OutdatedPracticesContinuetoDominateInHouseProcesses

Port Authority has a computerized system for the administration process but no data base
systemtoconnectwithotherstakeholderstomanageandshareinformation.Currently,many
workactivitiesarestillprocessedandexecutedmanually.Whilealargenumberofstevedoring
companieshaveITsystemstheyarenotconnectedwitheachotherortheport.DIThasrecently
installed an automated computer system and the port hopes to implement a project to
developaportcommunitysystemthatwillconnectallthesesystems;
CustomshasbeenimplementingSYDONIAsince2006buthasstillnotinterlinkedvariousoffices.
Applicationofriskmanagementisnotsystematic(nodynamicriskprofiles)andinspectionlevels
are high despite PSI. There is no prearrival clearance system though there is some discussion
withinDouane.The2002 versionoftheharmonizedsystem(HS)codeisstillusedaplanned
updatetoHS2007wasnotconfirmed.
DatatransferfromDouanetoPADisstillanissueandassuchimpactsthetradeprocess.
Other technical control agencies remain manually oriented and have no concrete plans for
modernization;
Traders complain that some stevedoring companies lack equipment and thus the ability to
handle multiple tasks i.e. unloading cargo from ships and loading cargo onto trucks
simultaneously often causing delays. Additionally, it is alsofelt by the trading community that
containermanagementsystemsarepoor.

23|P a g e

 Payment systems of agencies still based on conventional methods (certified checks or cash
rather than epayment). Some large importers do use transfers; however need to produce a
receiptforclearance.
Cargocanoftengothroughamultipleinspectionprocessi.e.scanningandphysicalinspection
by Customs and other technical control agencies. The inspection process is dependent on
inspectortimingsandcoordinationandoftenanalysisofscan/findingsaretimeconsuminglead
todelays.Evenafterclearanceandissuanceofexitnotesecurityagencies(police/gendarmes
and others) frequently inspect documents and cargo at exit gate leading to further delays.
WhileCustomsisusingsomesortofriskassessments,itslackofsophisticationandtheabsence
of coordinated border management in terms of risk pooling among agencies is a cause of
concernandassuchresultsindelaysinclearanceandinefficienciesacrossthesystem.

Asidefrominefficienciesonthegovernmentside,therearealsoalargenumberofissuesontheprivate
sectorsidethatinhibitsmoothtrade logisticsflowsthat includeclearingagentswholacktrainingand
professionalism,inefficientmaritimeagentsandsmalltraderswhoareunfamiliarwithtradetransaction
systems.Asaresultthethroughputofthesystemsisoftenalsodeterminedbytheirefficiency.Some
issuesarediscussedbelow.

(3) Privatesectorinefficiency

Clearingagents/Shippingagents/transporters:Agentsandoperatorscanalsocausedelaysby(i)
not beginning the clearance process immediately on arrival of ship; (ii) not understanding
Customs rules and laws including on valuation and classification leading to errors and
amendments;(iii)creatingbottlenecksandinefficienciesinthecontainerdelivery/truckpickup
process.
Importers:Importerleddelaysarenormallydueto(i)inabilitytoarrangecrucialdocumentsin
timeforclearancei.e.incompletedocumentationsubmittedbyforeignsuppliers;(ii)financial
aninabilitytoarrangemoneyfordutypaymentontimeduetolackofworkingcapital.
Inefficient Inventory Management: A World Bank Mission22 recently investigated inventory
management in the private sector in Cameroon and concluded that modern logistics systems
arelacking.Theyfoundthat

The leading trading companies and wholesalers work with high inventory coverage,
fixed replenishment quantities and constant lead time forecasts. They are historical
operators, riskadverse, and the seasonality of sales coupled to low price competition
intensitydonotencouragethemtorethinkthemanagementoftheirsupplychain.They
arealsonegativelyaffectedbyanapparentlylargevarianceofvesselarrivaltimesdue
to the absence of fixed berthing programs. They have a low level of integration of
upstream logistics and transport operations and generally purchase their goods under

22
WorldBankmissionreports,Raballand,2010

24|P a g e

 CIF Incoterms with little if no control over maritime operations. They have little
awareness of their actual dwell times since they outsource clearing and forwarding
activitiestobrokersunderquitetolerantcontractualterms(10to20daystocleargoods)
andthenchargetotheircustomerstheincreasedlogisticscosts.

A combination of the above factors of private sector inefficiency often also leads to delays in border
clearance adding to regulatory and procedural burdens from agencies involved in trade transaction
clearanceandincreasingcostofdoingbusiness.

25|P a g e

 SectionIIIRecommendations

Responsibility Implementation
ActionableItem 6 AdditionalComments
Completion
StartingDate Month
Date
Person Agency Focus
1 Interagencycoordination
Keycoordinationrelatedactivitiesfor
1.1
discussion
Obtainstakeholderagreementon
thestrategyforimplementingan Itisimportanttoclarifyplans
electronicsinglewindow. forESW.WhileGUCEhas
begunautomatingcertain
Evaluatesimplifyingduplicate/dual
National proceduresanddetailedplans
licensedgoods
Committee fortheESW,PADisalso
Feb2011 Sept302011
Evaluatedevelopingasimplified forTrade developingaPortCommunity

paymentmechanismforfeesand Facilitation System.Itisimperativethata
chargesacrosstraderelatedagencies. jointstakeholderdecisionbe
Mediumtermobjectiveshouldbeto takenontheautomationof
planforelectronicpayments.Asan tradeprocedures.
interimmeasureevaluatethepossibility
ofmakingallpaymentsatonestop.

26|P a g e

 Workinghours:Asafirststep
workingintheshortterm,hoursneedto
beharmonized.Currentlymanyagencies
andmembersfromtheprivatesectordo
notworkcontinuously(unlikesome
agencies/actorswhohavean8:00amto
6:00pmschedule).Harmonizingworking
hourswouldimproveefficiency.Inthe
mediumterm,theNationalTrade
FacilitationCommitteecoulddiscuss
strategiesonincreasingworkinghours
steadilyuntiltheclearanceprocess
becomes24hours,7daysaweek.While
thiswilldependonincreaseintraffic,
discussingmechanismstopilotthisin
peakseasonswillincreasethespeedof
theclearanceprocess.

Ecommerce/signature/paymentrelated
lawsSpeedupandencourageadoption GUCE,
oflawsforelectroniccommerceand National
1.2 electronicpayments.Electronic Committee Feb2011 Feb2012
paymentswillalsoreducedelaysrelated forTrade
toconfirmationofcheckclearanceat Facilitation
Customs

Automation,electronicprocessing GUCE,

andcertification National
Feb2011 Feb2012
Makeavailableelectronicversions Committee
forTrade
ofallforms

27|P a g e

 Facilitation
Ensurecapabilitytoprocessforms
electronicallyhardware,softwareand
personnelareavailableautomate

Reviewnationallawsforelectronic
processingandcertification
Proceedwithelectroniccertification
oncenationallawsareinplace
Communicatewithbusiness

community

2 Documentation

Removetherequirementforinsurance
2.1
certificateintheexternaltradeprocess.
Thecurrentpracticeofmaking
National thecertificatemandatoryfor
Committee clearanceofgoodsinthe
Feb2011 Jun2011
forTrade externaltradeprocessis
ReviewRelevantNotification/Lawif Facilitation burdensomeandaddsdelays

applicable andcostsforbusiness.

Removetherequirementforthecargo TheCargotrackingnote
2.2 trackingnotefromtheimport/export National containsinformationtaken
process. Committee frominvoices,billoflading
Feb2011 Jun2011
forTrade andotherdocumentsalready
ReviewRelevantNotification/Lawif Facilitation availabletotechnicalcontrol

applicable agencies.

28|P a g e

 Evaluatealternatefunding
mechanismsforNationalShippers
Council

2.3 Clarifydocumentationrequirements
Performaninventoryofall
import/exportofficialfeesandcharges
bycommodityandagency.
Streamlinetheprocessforissuance
ofproductsthatrequirepermitsfrom
twoagencies.
Ensuremanifestisavailabletoall
keypartiesPort,Douane,Phytosanitary
National
departmentandothers24/48hoursin
advanceofarrivalofship Committee
Feb2011 Jun2011
forTrade
Facilitation Onarrivaloftheship,various
agenciesandministries
demanddocumentsfromthe
Ensurealldocumentationafter vessel.Vesseldocuments
arrivalofshipischanneledthrougha shouldbecollectedbyone
singleagencysimilartotheneedforall authorizedagencyi.e.
inspectionstobecoordinatedthrough Customs/Ministryof
theMinistryofCommerce Commerce/Portwhoneedto
makecopiesofthedocuments
availabletoallother
stakeholders.
Proceduresandtransactionsat
3 technicalcontrolagenciesandkey
stakeholders

29|P a g e

 3.1 GUCE
EvaluateconsolidationofBL
paymentsshouldbillonaconsolidated
basistotheclearingagenttoreduce
transactiontimeandlowercostsforall
partiesincludingitself.
GUCE Feb2011 Dec312011
EncourageconductingGUCE
procedurespriortoarrivalofship
evaluatefeasibility
Reviewandamendlawto

incorporatechanges

3.2 SGS/PreShipmentInspections

Removetherequirementtobring
alldocumentstoSGS(includingcargo
releasenoteandinsurancecertificate)
forreceiptoftheavisattestationof
verificationofimportation.Instead,on

completionofSGSproceduresin SGS Feb2011 Sept302011
exportingcountrySGSshould
automaticallyissuetheavistothe
CustomsBroker.Ideally,theavisshould
becollectedpriortothearrivalofgoods.

Reviewandamendlawto

incorporatechanges
Implement

3.3 NationalShippersCouncil(NSC) NSC Feb2011 Sept302011

30|P a g e

 CreateastrategyfortheCouncil
thatlistsallvalueaddingactivitiestobe
Forinstance,theCouncil
providedtovariousstakeholdersinthe
couldchargeforitstraining
tradelogisticsprocess.Assuchthis
programs,publicationsand
strategywouldevaluateanalternate
thusbeselffunding.
methodtofinancetheactivitiesofthe
Council.

TheNationalShippersCouncilcould
alsohostawebsitethatcouldbethe
repositoryofinformationfortraders
(exporters/importers)andeven

investors.Auserfriendlywebsitethat
enablesallpartiestogatherinformation
onthetradeprocessinCameroonwould
beahugelyvalueaddingactivity.

Reviewandamendlawto

incorporatechanges
Implement

3.4 PAD/Stevedores/DIT

Improvecontainermanagement
SGS Feb2011 Feb2012
processincludingmovementof

containersforphysicalinspection,
speedingupinvoicingandreceiptsystem

31|P a g e

 Speedupportpaymentsystem
ideallyallportchargesshouldbepaid
within24hoursofarrivalofship
Completecomputerizationof

containermanagementprocess
Implement

4 Douane/Customs

4.1 Amendments,errorsandpenalties

Improvetheinvoiceamendment
process.Currentlydiscrepancies
betweentheinvoiceandactuallanded
Douane Feb2011 Sept2011
cargotakeupto10daystocorrect
oftenleadingimporterstoincur
demurragechargesattheport.
Reviseproceduresandpenalty
schedulesforminorerrorsof
commissionandomissionwhichcan
oftensignificantlydelayclearanceof
cargo.
Speedupintroductionofelectronic
4.2
payments. Douane Feb2011 Feb2012
ComputerizationandASYCUDA
4.3
implementation
ImplementremainingASYCUDA

modules
InterlinkallCustomsstations(

ASYCUDA)

32|P a g e

 4.4 RiskManagement

ReappointRiskManagement

ImplementationTeam
Createdetailedriskmanagement
strategyincludingPCAwith
implementationtimeline.Incorporate
internationalbestpracticeincludingon
preclearance,channels,andpost
clearanceaudit

Detailedplantobe
Identifyresources,trainingneeds,
Douane Feb2011 Feb2012 implementedinaphased
legalamendmentstocustomscode,and
approach
otherissuesthatneedtobeaddressed

MovetowardsimplementingHS
2007
Reviewandamendlawto
incorporatechangesinlinewith
internationalbestpractice(Kyoto
Convention).
AssessimplicationsforCEMAC

CustomsCode.
Implement

5 CommunicationandInformation
5.1 Onlinedissemination Working
Evaluatealltraderelatedwebsites Groupon
Select/setuponecentralwebsite Trade
Feb2011 Feb2012
foralltraderelatedinformation/forms Logisticsand
individual
i.e.NationalShippersWebsite/GUCEor
alternative. ministries

33|P a g e

 andagencies
Ensureallupdatesandchangesto
lists,procedures,includinginformation

onlicenses,documentsandprocedures
areimmediatelyupdatedandavailable.

Securenecessaryfunding,
personnel,technologyhardwareand
software
Implement
5.2 Assessdisseminationchannels
Evaluatecurrenttraderelated
informationdisseminationchannelsfor
allagencies/ministries
Working
Createanactionplantointroduce
Groupon
standardizedmechanismstodisplayand
Trade
disseminateinformation.
Logisticsand Feb2011 Feb2012
Publiclydisplaytherequired individual
documentationandtheprocessper ministries
procedure/document,togetherwith andagencies
timerequirementsandanycosts,atany
officeservingpartiestotrade
Developareformcommunication
5.3
strategy

34|P a g e

 Thecommitteeneedstopublicize
itssuccesses.Recommendationsagreed
uponandimplementedmadepublic
wouldhelpputpressureonall
stakeholderstocontinuouslybeinvolved
andimprovereformmomentum.Asa
firststep,theCommitteecouldpublicize
itsanalysisoftheimplementationofits
reformsfrom2001.

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