By NDUMBE BELL GASTON
Economic operators big and small in the nation have been called upon to massively participate in the upcoming 7th edition of the International Single Window Conference organized by the African Alliance for Electronic Commerce (AAEC) in Cameroon, from September 17 to 19 at the Yaounde Conference centre.
The revelation was sourced in an earlier press conference months back and recent releases from the Managing Director of ‘Guichet Unique’ or single Window for External Trade office Douala, Isidore Biyiha, who happens to have been mandated as the current President of the African Alliance for Electronic Commerce with membership of over 20 countries.
National, regional, continental stakeholders and international heavyweights focused towards the growth of trade facilitation and challenges, such as public administration, the private sector, the supply chain of importers, exporters, the African Union Commission, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UNCTAD, ECOWAS, CEMAC, UNCEFACT, the World Customs Organisation, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Postal unions, will deliberate on key issues of intra-African Trade, instruments of facilitation through dematerialization in this year’s edition themed “Unlocking the Potential of Electronic Commerce and Optimising the International Supply Chain for countries of the Hinterland”.
As explained by Isidore Biyiha, the Managing Director of GUCE and current President of the African Alliance for Electronic Commerce, “The International Single Window Conference (SWC) is a landmark opportunity to exchange experiences and discover new concepts and all the innovations in terms of trade facilitation, build on the best practices worldwide and envisage the future, notably by bringing forward the most talented start-ups. Integrating innovations in the supply chain must be a priority for us stakeholders of the sector, if we don’t want to be lagging behind. We have prioritized digital innovations in a bid to transform single windows into high-performing tools in the service of our states and alternately contribute to the enhancement of the competitiveness of African countries and help them raise intra-African trade, as advocated by the African Union”, he explained.
Testimonies will be made or shared by some selected top notches in the nation, including, Cameroon breweries, Shippers Council, Douala Ports Authority (PAD), Kribi Ports Authority, Cameroon Customs, Bolloré Africa Logistics, S.G.S., presentations of innovations by international experts (eg: blockchain and AI), the Information System for Technical Administration (S.I.A.T.), the paperless import-export clearance procedures, a tech-talk on a single form for foreign trade operations, landlocked countries challenges such as Chad, the Central African Republic etc.
Visits to touristic sites such as the National Museum, the signing of a protocol agreement for GUCE and Bollore Transport Logistics, a regional workshop coordinated by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and MINTP, including the presentations of the technical and executive committees of AAEC are part of activities during this seventh edition. New AAEC members are also envisaged.