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IMPROVEMENT OF THE BENIN BUSINESS CLIMATE

Since July 2016, the Benin Customs Administration, under the leadership of the government, has initiated a series of reforms. These include the Program for Verification of Imports and Institutional and Computer Reforms, including the creation of a Single External Trade Window, led by Benin Control and Webb Fontaine respectively. Partners with whom the Benin Customs Administration develops an excellent relationship. The Government's objectives in initiating these reforms are of several kinds:– Make the Benin Customs Administration one of the most modern by 2021; in plain a 21st century CUSTOMS;– Make the Port of Cotonou a hub in the sub-region; given its strategic position;– Make Benin's corridors the most fluid in trade facilitation; and at this level the bet is won because Benin has been ranked since June 2019 at the 55th Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State in Abuja, the first in terms of trade facilitation, free movement of people and goods;– Improving the business climate in Benin;– Doing an unbridled fight against corruptionAll this will obviously help to improve the level of revenue from customs revenues. The key reforms undertaken to improve the business climate in Benin include:1. the dematerialisation of customs clearance procedures through the creation of a GUCE. All customs formalities throughout the national territory will now be carried out online via a platform www.guce.bj. The aim of this platform is to put more speed in customs clearance operations.2. In a context where trade facilitation has become an essential instrument for the efficiency of international trade, customs administrations must deploy modern control techniques to facilitate transactions, while maintaining the principle of trade facilitation.Thus, within the customs administration of Benin, the automation of risk management and selectivity of controls is a reality with orientation rates in the control circuit. 19% for the red circuit, of 77% for the yellow circuit and 4% for the circuit green to end February 2020.3. Migration to ASYCUDA WORLD started in October 2015. At this level, all the main units have been migrated and to date, 21 Units out of 32 have already been migrated. The remaining 11 are in progress.4- The strengthening of the Customs-Business partnership with the key, the establishment of a National Programme of Chartered Economic Operators (OAS), which is a programme to facilitate and secure the international supply chain. It is also a trust programme that allows for the selection of economic operators who request it, on the basis of a number of pre-established criteria. The aim of implementing this flagship reform is to facilitate the transactions of credible economic operators in order to focus attention on economic operators at risk. Three (03) statutes are issued:– Customs simplification – Security Security – OAS Complete 5- Electronic payment of certificates, licenses and permits via Mobile Money (Eco-bank, BOA, UBA and MOOV MONEY active) is now a reality in Benin. In conclusion, all the reforms followed by the World Bank in improving the business climate are fully implemented in Benin. Good augurs therefore for Benin's position in the next ranking doing business to be published in October 2020.