The customs’ community celebrated its International Day on January 26th, 2021. On this occasion, Customs’ general Director Mr. Abdourahmane DIEYE, said he is looking forward confidently the Senegal’ Customs future through the triptych (Recipes-Facilitation-Security). However, he precised that computerization, digitization and modernization of procedures must be the basis.

He was speaking on the occasion of the International Customs Day (WCO), celebrated on January 26th each year. The 2021 edition was dedicated to the “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”, was celebrated in a health crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic. On the axis relating to Renewal, he indicated that the future of Customs rests “on the computerization, digitization and modernization of procedures”, in accordance with the axes of the Medium-term revenue mobilization strategy (SRMT) and the vast Customs’ Administration Modernization Program (PROMAD) in the development phase.

According to Head of Customs, this axis stressed the “significance” the use of technologies (drones, non-intrusive tools, etc.) and the digitization of customs procedures. He believed that we should learn that from this pandemic “to promote, now more than the past, the digital economy by aiming for a strong digital use of customs’ procedures”. “The dematerialization of procedures is already an achievement for Senegal Customs and enable for the vast project of digitization”, he recalled, ensuring that the Business intelligence (BI) is already operational.

To this end, the Customs’ General Director called on the World Customs Organization (WCO) to formulate and implement strategies which the backbone are three axes: Resilience (by placing people at the center of heart of change), recovery (by strengthening collaboration) and Partnership and Renewal (by using advanced technologies). On this occasion, Mr. Abdourahmane DIEYE praised the customs’ officers and authorities’ efforts. 

With regard to Resilience, he appreciated the adoption of the Action Plan of the Customs General Directorate set on 14 measures, and in accordance with the Economic and Social Resilience Plan (PRES) drawn up by the Government. According to this, the DGD’s actions were structured around economic and financial stability as well as the country’s regular supply with essential strategic products (hydrocarbons, medical products, pharmaceuticals and basic necessities). In addition, other subsequent acts such as the definition of new working methods materialized by a reorganization of the service, teleworking and the holding of meetings by videoconference were adopted.

Regarding the economic Recovery, the second axis, the Head of Customs emphasized the frameworks for reflection and discussions already set up with the Armies, the Police at the internal level as well as with riparian States such as The Gambia. In this wake, he welcomed the holding of the second Senegalese-Gambian Presidential Council) which reinforces, he said, “the logic of coordinated border management, favoring collaboration with administrations and services present at the borders”.

“Consolidate the logistics chain”

As such, Mr. Abdourahmane DIEYE said that the programs under implementation, in particular the interconnection of transit systems (SIGMAT) at the sub-regional level and the program of approved economic operators (AEO) contribute more “to consolidate the supply chain as a stimulus vector combining both security and trade facilitation”. However, he noted, controlling the flow of goods through the computerize system remains a major challenge. In this regard, he assured that the Customs Administration is committed to study the Framework of standards for cross-border electronic trade proposed by the WCO on the issue, for the purposes of its adaptation within the pandemic covid19. Previously, he expressed his deep gratitude to the President of the Republic and the Minister of Finance and Budget for their trust.