Foreign trade procedures: Gov’t, GUCE-GIE strengthen ties to modernise management.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, signed on behalf of the government while the Director General of GUCE-GIE, Isidore Biyiha, did the same for the organisation he represents. 

The signing ceremony was attended by Technical Advisers of MINADER, the representative of the Minister of Finance, as well as Inspectors and Directors of Services.

The agreement between MINADER and GUCE-GIE, it was revealed, is a significant step forward for Cameroon's agricultural sector. 

This partnership, we gathered, aims to strengthen MINADER's operational capabilities and promote competitive agriculture that meets international standards. 

It also marks a further step towards excellence and modernity in the management of Cameroon's foreign trade procedures.

The agreement signed between MINADER and GUCE-GIE reflects the joint efforts of both parties to achieve a complete and high-performance dematerialised platform. 

This shall involve digitisation of foreign trade procedures under the responsibility of MINADER, optimising and securing the costs inherent in these procedures, setting up dedicated technical assistance, developing decision-making tools.

Also, through digitisation, MINADER aims, amongst other things, to reduce processing times, improve traceability and preserve Cameroon's export image and protect the country's agricultural and forestry heritage from the risks associated with the importation of plants and plant products.

The partnership will also provide an online and an e-learning platform to build the capacity of the ministry's personnel. MINADER will also benefit from advanced tools for monitoring exports and imports, using Big Data for in-depth statistical analysis. 

Minister Mbairobe salutes GUCE-GIE contribution

Speaking during the event, Minister Mbairobe acknowledged the immense contribution of GUCE-GIE.  

He said that the company has invested hundreds of man-hours and resources to enable MINADER to have foreign trade procedures that work effectively. 

The member of government said they have contributed in making Cameroon a model for the exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates.

“Following the successful dematerialisation of the Phytosanitary Export Certificate, many signatory countries of the International Plant Protection Convention are interested in switching to the State of Cameroon to switch to the electronic mode for plants and plant products imported into our territory,” the MINADER boss stated.

He went further to add that: “…the dematerialisation of MINADER's foreign trade procedures remains immense, with a number of urgent requirements dictated by our country's trading partners or the protection of the local economic fabric against counterfeit, fraudulent or other poor-quality agricultural inputs and products”. 

The minister also revealed that through this agreement, MINADER will be able to benefit from GUCE-GIE's expertise, which in just a few years, has helped the State of Cameroon to secure more than 8,000 billion in customs duties thanks to its electronic payment platform.

Minister Mbairobe added that MINADER is relying on GUCE-GIE to complete its other foreign trade procedures and secure the related documents to combat the circumvention of legislation by importers. 

The minister also said that the collaboration will help the government to combat fraud and document falsification, to collect service revenues effectively and secure them, with a view to making a better contribution and certification of agricultural inputs and products to Cameroon's development.

Enter GUCE-GIE DG

On his part, the Director General of GUCE-GIE, Isidore Biyiha, said the agreement will modernise and digitalise the agricultural ecosystem in Cameroon. 

He said they are keen on ensuring that MINADER becomes a reference as operates on optimum level. Biyiha also took the commitment to contribute their quota to the development of the country and the entire sub region. 

It is worthy to recall that over ten years ago, the Cameroon government launched a vast project to dematerialise foreign trade procedures. 

Since 2012 MINADER and GUCE-GIE have been working together as part of the government's project to dematerialise Foreign Trade Procedures. 

The project, supported by the Government, financed by the World Bank has recorded significant strides. 

These successes have enabled Cameroon since June 1 2022, to be listed among the first African countries to exchange electronic phytosanitary certificates with its trading partners in plants and plant products.