Economy Protection: Cameroon Customs Multiply Strategies

Customs officers are regularly trained and recurrently launch special operations against smuggling.

Faced with enormous internal and external threats from recalcitrant businessmen, who will go to any length to deprive the state of financial resources and put the lives of Cameroonians at risk, the Cameroon Customs has been re-strategising to circumvent such malpractices. To up the skills acquired during statutory formation period, customs agents at the central and external services receive regular advanced training on the fight against smuggling offered by experts who combine experience and professionalism. The Cameroon Customs has continuously empowered customs officers with practical skills which put them far beyond mere theoretical concepts.
Being a paramilitary force, we learned the Directorate General of Customs has been collaborating with other security forces in protecting the national territory, especially the economy, against several forms of threats. Ever since a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence, the Cameroon Customs with the support of the Navy has carried out many surveillance operations on the territorial waters in the Gulf of Guinea; a volatile coast susceptible to all forms of criminal activities.
In an another perspective, Cameroon Tribune (CT) gathered that the Customs has put in place  a security mechanism whereby customs offers at posts, backed by mobile brigade officers monitor and control the possession and movement of goods across the national territory. According to the Director General of Customs, Fongod Edwin Nuvaga, their concerted efforts have been paying off as successive operations have led to the seizure of goods from illegal trade and the seizure of prohibited items in the likes of mines, weapons, explosives and other substances likely to be used to put the life of citizens and the security of the state in jeopardy.
Fongod noted that in addition to other operations, they have equally put in place an anti-fraud strategy based on partnership and action. “We launched the Operation Stopping Illicit Trade, code-named ‘Operstion HALCOMI’ which was carried out from August 16 to December 31, 2016, by the Directorate General of Customs in collaboration with private sector enterprises and the Navy. From East to West, from North to South, the fight against illegal trade is contributing towards the development of the national economy,” he said. Fongod told CT the operation let to the systematic seizure of illegal goods and enterprises which hitherto complained about illegal goods have seen their businesses regain life. Officials of the Directorate General of Customs say last year, Operation HALCOMI let to the recovery of FCFA 357,031,600 as fines. Tonnes of contraband goods such as pallets of Malta and Dudu, iron rods, wine, whisky, fuel, biscuits, food sweetener, amongst others, were impound at territorial borders.
In order to more effectively address the rising illegal trade and new threats such as money laundering, terrorism, abduction of persons and other transnational crimes, the Cameroon Customs, we learned, is collaborating with Niger, Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic to ensure trans-border security.

Fongod Edwin Nuvaga: “Raising FCFA 800 Billion Remains Our Priority”

Director General of Customs.

Can you tell us how the Customs sector is generally faring?
The Directorate General of Customs is certainly facing many persistent cyclical challenges within a context marked notably by the contraction of trade and the continuous drop in the price of the barrel of oil on the international market. That notwithstanding, I think we are faring well. We are accomplishing our task with professionalism and determination. There is serenity within the ranks of the Customs Administration, with regard to the perfect execution of its specific missions, namely: the fiscal, economic and surveillance missions as well as the mission of assistance to other public administrations.
Mindful of the Head of State’s vision to digitalise the economy, how far has the Directorate General of Customs gone in incorporating ICTs in its operations?
Today, ICTs are omnipresent in the customs environment. From the use of ICTs in customs intelligence, office...