At start of confab in Yaounde: MINFI boss says profound reforms key to modernising customs administration.

He made the remark while officially opening a three-day discussion and reflection forum on goods handling at the Customs Training Centre in Mbankomo, yesterday. 

The launch of the forum which ended Friday, September 5, was attended by the Director General of Customs, Edwin Fongod Nuvaga; the Head of Customs Training Centre, Bowombe Tabi Berthe Angèle; the representative of the Governor of Centre Region amongst other state officials. 

Motaze said the customs is not only responsible for collecting revenue, but also acts as an instrument for promoting the economy, a catalyst for competitiveness and a force for protecting society and the State. 

He admitted that the customs department still faces multiple challenges that that affect its full effectiveness, especially in the handling of goods.

“These shortcomings are by no means inevitable. On the contrary, they must be the starting point for a profound reform,” he stated.

Highlighting the challenges the customs is faced with, Motaze said at the structural level, there are overlaps in responsibilities, and the poor coordination between public and private actors in the logistics chain compromises the overall performance of customs operations. 

At the operational level, he said the waterway remains to be developed and monitoring of the clearance of facilities remains to be perfected. 

Monitoring of transit, Motaze said, remains deficient while the porosity of borders fuels smuggling, large-scale trafficking and insecurity. 

The coverage of modern equipment, he insisted, remains insufficient and the lack of systems adapted to e-commerce weakens its control. 

Stakes of three-day forum

Confronted with these setbacks, Motaze said the holding of the three-day forum is in a bid to define a national manual of procedures for handling goods, harmonised and applicable in all theatres of operation as well as to adjust the organisational framework and operating methods of the services.

Besides strengthening the skills and specialisation of the customs agents at the meeting, he said the forum will also extend the use of modern control equipment beyond seaports, promote transparency, traceability and good governance.

The minister added that the forum is an opportunity to strengthen inter-institutional coordination and partnership with economic operators.

Lauds customs efforts to fight trafficking 

He also lauded the customs department for its efforts in the fight against the trafficking of arms, drugs, minerals and prohibited goods as well as cross border threats.

He said such efforts are even more essential after the customs department was fully integrated as member of the National Defence and Security Community.

The gathering comes barely weeks after the minister supervised the signing of agreements in Maroua last August 26, between the customs department and the Bourha, Fotokol, Kolofata and Mora councils, to make trading centres operational in the four municipalities whose economic development has suffered in recent years from real security fragility.

“The fact that these two events are being held in quick succession is testament to the dynamism of the Directorate General of Customs and, above all, proof of the appropriation of Programme 032 of the National Development Strategy 2030, which makes the optimal mobilisation of customs revenue and the protection of the national economy, society and territory a priority objective for our country,” he declared.

In addition to better combating smuggling, securing and increasing customs revenue, Motaze stressed that these single points of entry for goods are proof of the government's ongoing efforts to support the decentralisation by providing stable resources to local authorities to boost their development. 

He urged the participants to approach the discussions with rigour, a spirit of innovation and a strong sense of public service, so as to make cogent recommendations that can guide the modernisation of the customs administration. 

Enter Coordinator 

According to the Coordinator of the three-day forum, Dr Konneh Gasper Neba, the presentation of goods to customs is an essential step in the work of customs in managing goods that come in and leave the country. 

Prior to goods leaving or entering the country, the senior customs inspector explained that there is a legal process or procedure that determines how the goods should be presented to customs. 

He said this could include the goods themselves, the documentation that accompanies the goods, the information that must be contained in that documentation, the electronic transfer of information amongst others. 

“Normally when the goods arrive or are living, the documentation that is presented to customs in the first place is known as a summary declaration. The person transporting the goods have to first of all, whether by air, by sea or by land, they have to first of all present documentation to customs which is known as a summary declaration. It is on the basis of this summary declaration that subsequently either the importers or exporters will now do their goods declarations to either clear in or clear out the goods,” he explained. 

Dr Konneh also stressed that this is one aspect of the customs regulation which ensures that customs officers have foresight and close insights on all the goods entering or leaving the territory.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3554 of Thursday September 04, 2025