(Business in Cameroon) - Vice-President of Cotecna Inspection SA present in Cameroon from 24^th to 27^th September 2014 offers solutions to Cameroon to improve security and customs organisation at the port of Douala.  

How do you feel about your recent visit to Cameroon with a delegation of Swiss investors accompanied by the EMA Invest Foundation?

Our visit to Cameroon was very interesting. It was well organised and I met a lot of persons who were interested in our project. Unfortunately, a few were absent. It isn’t always easy to foresee these things, but we met interesting interlocutors. This trip was decisive in the sense that it helped us to move our project forward.

What is the project you submitted to the Cameroonian government about?

We presented our project to the Minister of Finance. It’s a project to secure and improve commercial trade flow at the ports. The added-value that we bring primarily concerns security. What we provide allows for the efficient monitoring of merchandise that arrives in Cameroon and also ensure that the containers do not have weapons, ammunition, dangerous products, drugs etc. The project we are proposing covers all goods. This also helps to improve the port’s organisation. In general, our proposal has a security element, a customs’ element and an operational aspect with the hi-tech equipment. 

Do you currently have competition in Cameroon?

It isn’t exactly competition. There’s a system involving verification before loading for export. This is mainly to verify the value. This would not be affected by what we are offering. Not at all. That system is about quality verification – that bags have the right weight and so on. We’re taking care of other issues.

In Nigeria, you are close to Cameroon. What are you offering there?

In Nigeria, we are in the transfer phase. You know, we buy, we operate and at the end of the contract, we transfer it to the government. This went well in Nigeria. We were congratulated by the government of Nigeria for the quality of our work.

You are also in Gabon…

Yes. We have a project there, but it’s new. We are currently setting things up. It will launch in a few months in Libreville.

Do you plan to return to Cameroon?

Of course, I plan to come back to Cameroon. We hope that our proposals will be approved and find favour with the government and that we will soon partner with the government to launch the project. The head of the Customs management team was really interested in our proposal.

Is she in favour of the project being implemented?

Yes. Very much.