Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
68
Cote d’Ivoire participates in many regional customs collaboration projects in West Africa. The
country contributes, for example, to the Trade Support and Regional Integration Programme
(PACIR, in French: Programme d'Appui au Commerce et à l'Intégration Régionale) initiative that
seeks to build connectivity across customs IT systems in Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali and
Senegal. Cote d’Ivoire has also initiated similar, bilateral programs with Benin, Togo and Ghana. 109
Stronger customs connectivity across the West Africa is expected to help border control agencies to
monitor cross-border operations in the region, streamline border inspections and guarantee
protocols, and reduce administrative burden for the trading community. The connectivity facilitates
access to data and information. This in turn makes it easier for customs to carry out risk-based
border controls, profile trading companies by criteria for AEO programs and to combat customs
fraud.110
BAC in Mali: Building transit capabilities with Guinea
Customs administrations in Mali and Guinea are working together to facilitate bilateral trade and
transit between the two Western African countries. As a landlocked country, Mali relies on access to
the sea through ports of its neighbouring countries, especially Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and Conakry
in Guinea. There have been continuing negotiations for locating Malinese customs officers in the
port of Conakry, Guinea, to control Mali-bound imports as soon as they embark on the African
continent. Seeking to establish a fast and reliable coast-hinterland transport corridor, Malinese and
Guinean customs have pledged to provide mutual administrative support, strengthen
interconnectedness between their respective customs ICT systems, build capability for non-
intrusive scanning and to enable electronic tracking of goods in transit. 111
BAC in Senegal: Implementing a regional single window
The African Alliance for Electronic Commerce, a group of ten African countries, seeks to optimise
trading procedures and expand the regional markets through adoption of modern ICT technologies
and single window solutions.112
BAC in Togo: Improving system connectivity with the neighbours
As part of the national e-government program, the customs administration of Togo is modernising
its ICT infrastructure and procedures. 113 The Togolese customs modernisation program has an
international dimension as well: four Western African countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo
109 Protocole d’accord entre le Ghana et la Cote d’Ivoire: les Douanes ivoiriennes et ghanéennes, désormais interconnectées.
Cérémonie d’ouverture de la rencontre régionale sur le projet d’interconnexion des Administrations des Douanes du
Burkina Faso, de la Côte d’Ivoire et du Mali.
(accessed 7 April 2016)
110. Directors General of Customs of Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal “Connect”.
(accessed 25 May 2016)
111 Mali-Guinée: la cooperation douaniere se renforce. 7 May
2016)
112 6ème assemblée générale de l'AACE : Les performances des guichets uniques magnifiées
(accessed 28 May 2016).
113 Visite de la ministre des postes et de l’economie numerique a l’OTR
(accessed 30 May 2016)