NDUMBE BELL GASTON IN DOUALA
Members of the public and private sectors under the initiative of the National Committee for Trade Facilitations (CONAFE) met from Monday May 8 to Friday May 12 in Sawa Hotel to simplify procedures to facilitate economic and commercial activities in the nation.
The general objective is to enhance the harmonization of theoretical, methodical, and didactic tools of an Exchange Facilitation Agreement (AFE in French) that went operational in February 22, 2017. Three modules are to be covered. However, the immediate concern is to review, master the norms, and to adapt to the international recommendations of commercial exchanges so as to acquire a perfect mastery of the conditions and then find solutions in operating a strategy for the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) where the public private-partnership could bring the cost down to 15%.
Also organized under the supervision of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (CNUCED), the session was intended to train members of the national committee, especially those involved in the domain of international trade.
One of the experts in whom the responsibility of training committee members heavily relied, was Celine Bacrot of CNUCED, she said: “Simplifying trade procedures boosts the competitively of your country which will then expand commercial opportunities and contribute to the efficiencies of public institutions. Replacing old with new procedures, there will emerge a system of governance that is based on transparency through the new simplified system.”
The representative from GICAM, Mr. Nkuete, had some hope that GUCE will use it’s expertise to facilitate trade procedures as they have experimented with e-force, but much remains to be done.
In the closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary of CONAFE Joseph Nguede who participants greatly attribute the coordination and success of the seminar from the CNCC, Douala said all participants are going back with their seminal certificates. They should put in practice what they have learnt and precise these in their reports. The thanked all stakeholders for their contributions.
Among those who spoke during the closing remarks were the representative of the Prime Minister’s secretariat who thanked the UN, the participants and Government. The expert Celine Bacrot stated that facilitation of trade in Africa will boost regional economies and rapidly increase growth in Africa’s already growing middle class. She added that despite the challenges between countries and regions, it is good to start somewhere.