In line with the commemoration of the International Customs Day celebrated every January 25, prelude to this year’s commemoration, the Director General of Customs organized an awareness sensitization programme and sent delegation team from National Anti-Corruption Commission, CONAC, on Friday January 17, 2025 to South West Customs head quarter in Bota, Limbe to drills actors in the customs clearance chain to work in synergy to put an end to unethical practice.
In his intervention, Gilbert Christian Onana said the campaign is being carried out within the frame work of the International Anti-Corruption Day. He urged the customs actors in the clearance chain to continue with the same spirit to mitigate corruption.
He invited them to work in legal framework governing. Henceforth disciplinary measures will be reactivated to sanction those who violate the law of customs procedure.
He stressed on the fact that, the there is a toll-free number 8044 to report any forms of unethical and practices for investigations
“It’s utmost important that each and everyone of us get awareness that customs duties that the Government the collect are used to build schools, hospitals and road.”Gilbert Christian
Gilbert Christian sensitized them on all measures that customs administration has put in place so as to harmonize and customs procedures to make things easy for users.
Speaking during the awareness meeting, the South West Chief of Customs. Mongue Nyamsi Daniel welcomed the team from CONAC and urged his collaborators to actively take part in the meeting and sensitized their peers of the clearance chain
He said the awareness meeting is very timely as they are gearing towards the commemoration of the event.
Mongue Nyamsi said the campaign is being carried out within the frame work of the International World Customs Day.
On his part, Vicent Nkengfua senior customs inspector and head of the sensitization campaign team in the fight against corruption said CONAC's initiatives taken to eradicate corruption and all similar offenses within Administration areas,
He explained that we Cameroon's 2023 Anti-Corruption Status Report actually states that CONAC received several denunciations on practices such as: scam of goods transporters on the highways; abuse of office among others.
“illegal detention of packages; request for higher sums of money than those provided for by the regulations; illegal confiscation and arbitrary detention of goods; fraudulent sale of vehicles in port areas”,
“Such practices not only tarnish the image of the Directorate General of Customs among users, but they also compromise the efforts of public authorities for the development of our country.” Vicent Nkengfua said.
He added that the financial loss incurred by the State of Cameroon in 2023 due to corruption is estimated at FCFA 114,035,922,502.
“Today's meeting is therefore an opportunity to put in place mechanisms to avoid the deviations observed in the Customs Sector”,
“Cameroon's 2023 Anti-Corruption Status Report states that fifty-seven staff from the Directorate General of Customs received various sanctions ranging from warnings to suspension of pay, for acts of corruption and breaches of professional ethics.” Vicent Nkengfua.
He added that the meeting is timely as it takes place at the start of the budgetary year. This is a good time to break up with the bad practices of previous budgetary years and adopt new ones.
BY SIMON NDIVE KALlA
KNews on Whtapp 651252410/ 677396181.
Senior customs inspector and head of the sensitization campaign team, Vincent Nkengfua addressing Customs chain actors
SW Chief of customs in his welcome addressing stakeholders
Cross section of CONAC officials and SW customs pose after the meeting
Cross section of of customs actors
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