“A workshop was organized by the Unique Counter Operation of External Trading, known by its French acronym GUCE, on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023 at the K Hotel in Douala. The main objective of the workshop was to enable various partners in chain logistics to shed light on the tools and solutions put in place to facilitate transit operations and goods”.
The workshop was attended by GUCE, the General Customs Directorate (DGD), and the United Bank for Africa (UBA). During the workshop, heads of enterprises discussed the challenges of transit trade in Africa and potential solutions for smoother transactions.
According to Isidore Biyiha, the Director General of the Counter Operation of External Trading, the issue of transit is a significant problem not only for Cameroon but also beyond. Therefore, there is a need to determine how they can collectively work to facilitate transit. Biyiha also noted that progress is being made, with 50% dematerialization already achieved.
In terms of the digitalization of goods and payments, the Director General of GUCE pointed out that the advent of the digital age has facilitated trade, which is why the partners convened to strategize for better methods.
The Director General of the United Bank for Africa, Jude ANELE, stated that the timing of the workshop was perfect. « It comes at a very significant time when there’s an increase in the trade flow and transit of goods from Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic, » Alawuba said. He added that it was the ideal time to bring all stakeholders together to address these issues and create strategies to make the movement of goods seamless and easy.
According to UBA, one of their main objectives is the dematerialization of the payment platform, providing a digital platform to facilitate payments – a key area in inter-border trade and the movement of goods.
Following the workshop, all involved partners are ready to move forward with the implementation phase of the adopted strategies.
By Julliet Mesame
