Despite the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Senegal Customs’ Administration must keep up its role for an effective economic recovery. During the International Customs’ Day celebration on January 26th, the Minister of Finance and Budget, Mr. Abdoulaye Daouda DIALLO, indicated that the Medium-Term Revenue Mobilization Strategy (SRMT) as well as the Customs’ Administration Modernization Plan (PROMAD) should be the backbone “in the consolidation of a more resilient and efficient Customs”.

This year, the International Customs’ Day is celebrated in a particular context of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

To follow the President’s prescriptions, Mr. Macky SALL, by respecting distanciation within a partial state of emergency, the Minister of Finance and Budget, Mr. Abdoulaye Daouda DIALLO, renounced to a solemn protocol ceremony. In a speech sent to the Customs’ General Directorate, the Minister appreciated the relevance of the 2021 edition topic: “Resilience, Recovery, and Renewal: Customs bolstering a sustainable supply chain”.

According to him the topic is very relevant because it invites the Customs’ Community to work for innovative solutions to end the crisis. He then welcomed the “perfect convergence” between the President’s vision and the WCO’s approach. Mr. Abdoulaye Daouda DIALLO then recalled after the Economic and Social Resilience Program (PRES)    strategy, an ambitious program for the national economic recovery was subsequently drawn up. And its issues were revealed during a recent Presidential Council. He thus indicated that the implementation of the PRES followed by the PREN should make it possible. From then on one can forecast a growth rate of 0.7% while a negative growth rate of -1.1% was projected in the first months of the pandemic. 

In addition to the good wintering and harvests varieties, the Minister of Finance and Budget said also that these more than honorable results were thanks to the remarquable contribution of the Customs’ General Directorate both in terms of revenue mobilization and support for investors, companies and other economic operators impacted by the health crisis.

We must be optimistic for the future hoping that “with the Senegal Customs’ Administration will keep on playing its role for an effective Senegalese economic recovery, despite the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic”. He strongly urged then the General Customs Director his staff. In so doing, the Medium-term Revenue Mobilization Strategy (SRMT) as well as the Customs Administration Modernization Plan (PROMAD) should be “the fertile ground for the outbreak, in the consolidating, a more resilient and efficient Customs to the populations’ benefits”.

Cost reduction

Regarding this aspect, Mr. DIALLO believes that the Customs’ everyday action must be based “on digitized and automated procedures favoring both the simplicity, predictability and cost reduction”. Finally, the Minister of Finance and Budget congratulated the recipients of the Senegal Customs’ Medal of Honor and the WCO Certificate of Merit. He awarded a special mention to the Director General, recipient of the WCO Certificate of Merit. He finally informed that the General Customs’ Director was instructed to present WCO medals of Honor and certificates of merit to recipients. The Minister expressed his best wishes for a happy new year 2021 to officials of the Customs’ Administration.