The regional meeting in Praia, Cabo Verde, focused on evaluating the implementation of the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT) within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The gathering aimed to assess progress and identify both successes and challenges in deploying this tool designed to facilitate data exchanges between customs administrations.
During discussions, Mrs. Aïssata Yaméogo Koffi, Officer in charge of Rules of Origin and Community Preferential Treatment at the ECOWAS Commission, alongside Mr. Salifou Tiemtore, Director of the Customs Union and Taxation at ECOWAS Commission, provided insights into SIGMAT.
Launched in 2019, SIGMAT is an integrated customs IT solution intended to expedite goods transit across ECOWAS borders and enhance intra-regional trade. As of July 2024, countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Mali, and Niger are connected to SIGMAT. Senegal and Mali are finalizing their tests after deploying it in Gambia’s customs system. Nigeria has also deployed SIGMAT with plans to connect with Benin soon.
Cabo Verde plans to implement SIGMAT Mobile due to its unique island geography requiring a flexible system for customs operations across islands. This initiative is expected to stimulate trade integration and improve cross-border movement fluidity within ECOWAS.
The system aims not only at modernizing customs administrations but also at simplifying procedures for goods transit through customs while promoting efficient transport. By facilitating financial information exchange, SIGMAT seeks to reduce transit times across borders, prevent fraud and tax revenue losses while enhancing economic integration.
SIGMAT reflects ECOWAS’s efforts towards improving trade management and boosting international competitiveness by automating customs procedures according to international standards. The meeting is anticipated to lead to conclusions that will further advance trade management efficiency through effective SIGMAT implementation.
