International Customs Day activities have been launched since thursday January 23rd in Kédougou. This year, The South-Est region takes all the Honors of the Event. In Kedougou like in Tambacounda, customs authorities have met and discussed with pupils of towns in the region about Customs missions in the Society. 

The celebration of International Customs Day was first marked by a cremation ceremony of drugs, fake medicines and cigarettes smuggled into Kedougou. Chaired by the Deputy to the Governor of Kédougou, in charge of Administrative Affairs, Jean Paul Malick Faye, the ceremony brought together the Defense and Security Forces, the populations and the customs authorities of the South East. A total of 2 tonnes and 375 kg of Indian hemp, 131,600 sticks of cigarettes and medicines worth 200 million CFA francs were cremated. All these destroyed products were seized by the Customs Subdivision of Kédougou. The Regional Director of Customs of the South-East returned to the work done by his Units before urging them to persevere in the same dynamic. Colonel Georges Diémé also explained the choice of the South-East customs region to host the International Customs Day 2020. It is indeed a wise choice in view of the satisfactory results achieved by the Region but also by the fact that this year’s theme, “Sustainability at the heart of customs action for people, prosperity and planet” particularly interests the area due to its economic specificities with a mining vocation.

The customs subdivision of Kédougou, aware of the environmental stakes in the region with the exploitation of minerals, has put the accent on the control of dangerous and toxic products which destroys the environment, pollutes water, especially the river Gambia. To this end, large seizures of explosives, cyanide and mercury were made and certain products destroyed in collaboration with the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Listed Establishments (Dreec) in Kédougou and experts from certain mining companies of the region.

The Deputy to the Governor hailed the important role that Customs plays in securing people and goods. Also, he recalled, the need for populations to collaborate and support Customs in its missions before welcoming the decentralization of commemorative activities of the Jid in the region of Kedougou.

The second sequence of this first day took place at the Lycée technique de Kédougou where an exchange meeting took place with the students on Customs missions, importance and strategic scope in relation to the theme of sustainable development. During two clock rounds, the communicators of Customs, the Director of the Southeast region, Colonel Diémé, talked to the students about the important role that Customs plays in the pursuit of the objectives of sustainable development. The meeting saw the participation of a dozen school governments from establishments in the commune of Kédougou, the teaching staff, the Lycée Management Committee, Moussa Doucouré, the Inspector of the Academy of Kédougou and the Deputy Governor of Kédougou, Jean Paul Malick Faye.
In a question-and-answer exercise, the students were able to familiarize themselves with the main missions of Customs and understand the different doors of entry into this “prestigious body”, according to the Inspector of the Academy of Kedougou, Mamadou Lamine Ly. Nearly 300 students participated in the meeting. They all expressed the wish to one day join Customs before committing to carry the message of support, collaboration and recognition to the Customs Administration. The meeting ended with a donation consisting of a printer and a photocopier on behalf of the Academy Inspectorate and a batch of medical equipment intended for the Kédougou Health District.

Same exercise in Tambacounda

The same exercise continued this Friday, January 24, 2020. The Senegalese Customs went to meet the students of the Mame Cheikh Mbaye high school in Tambacounda. The pedagogical committee of said high school chose the 100 best students of the establishment. As at the technical college in Kédougou, they were entitled to exhaustive presentations on the missions of Customs, its role and its contribution to sustainable development. The High School Censor, Mr. Diakhaté paid tribute to the Customs Administration. He also urged students to educate their peers about the harms of fraud and illicit trafficking. The head of the Tambacounda Subdivision, the Customs Inspector Ibrahima Guèye, for his part, reiterated the commitment of the Customs Administration to always reach out to the populations in order to create the conditions for mutual trust. During the exchanges, essential points such as the mobilization of revenue, security, assistance to other administrations, the contribution to sustainable development among others were highlighted. Finally, Customs and the School have decided to continue working together to encourage vocations and, above all, popularize the missions devolved to the Customs Administration.

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