To facilitate goods clearance: NW Regional Assembly to construct external customs warehouse.

The initiative to construct the facility was unveiled during the NW Regional Assembly session held last month in Bamenda. 

The session which ended with the adoption of 5.6 billion FCFA annual budget for 2024, was chaired by the President of the Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafo III.  

According to the Assembly President, the facility which is part of its projects for 2024, is expected to cost a whooping sum of 1.8 billion FCFA for the first phase of the project. 

While assuring that all necessary groundworks have been conducted, the President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafo III, said the project will have a major impact on the youth. 

“We have done all the necessary things to procure the land, it’s mapped out and it is being developed. It will be a place where we will give jobs to Cameroonians. Jobs of all strata and even those who have not gone to school can be hired as carriers,” he said. 

He added that “before the building of the permanent structure, we will hire temporary premises to clear goods.” 

On his part, the Customs Chief of Sector for the North West Region, Epie Jerome, saluted the move by the Regional Assembly, which he described as timely. He explained that the depository facility will require a lot of space. 

“We will require big space that will be able to take containers from the seaport. It means that when containers arrive the Douala Seaport, they will come directly to this customs warehouse where customs formalities will be carried out,” the Senior Customs Inspector told the press at the end of the session. 
The customs official, who doubles as Vice Chair of the Bilateral Working Group between the Directorate General of Customs and the North West Regional Assembly, also stressed that “before the cargo leaves the seaport, the requirement is just a simplified declaration”. 

The external customs clearing facility is also expected to generate income for the Regional Assembly.

“During its operation, there are certain taxes that will be calculated automatically by our software, CAMCIS, destined for the Regional Council,” Epie added. 

Goods duration at warehouse

Earlier on during the session, the North West Customs Chief of Sector made a presentation on the legal backing and how the External Customs Clearance Warehouse will function. 

In the presentation, the Senior Customs Inspector explained that the maximum length of stay for goods at the warehouse will be 11 days.

“These time limits run from the date of filing of the declaration of temporary storage or transfer to the MADE (customs external clearance warehouse). Remember the MADE seeks to solve the problem of congestion at the ports, so it would not be a good thing to decongest the port and then transform the centre into another long period storage warehouse,” he told the regional councillors.

He had further assured them that the fact that goods are immediately transferred from the ports to the region means basic necessity goods will be made available to the needy population in a shorter or reduced time. 

This, he insisted, will permits better planning ahead of time given the poor road network coupled with the unpredictable social climate.   

He equally highlighted that within the framework of the MoU of collaboration and reciprocal support signed between the Regional Assembly and the Customs administration, makes it a duty for the North West Customs Sector to accompany the Regional Assembly in its operations and activities relating to foreign trade, and develop fast clearance corridors. It is also responsible for providing the NWRA with finances resulting from customs revenue collected due to its support in clearance and improved handling of goods heading to the clearance centre or trade centres.