The ECOWAS Commission has moved to a digital certificate of origin (e-CO) system to facilitate cross-border trade among member states.
Massandje Toure-Litse, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, stated that the new system would reduce fraud, increase transparency, and ease the movement of goods.
In her statement, she highlighted that the old manual system had been prone to fraud and inefficiency.
“Unfortunately, as we have experienced over the years in West Africa, the manual process relating to the application for certificate of origin, its delivery as a paper document, approval by customs prior to export and presentation to customs of the country of importation as proof of origin and therefore eligible for tariff preference, have become cumbersome and very often, subject to fraud,” she said.
“This has eroded confidence in the proof of origin, with falsified paper certificates of origin being used to secure tariff preferences, thereby denying parties the benefits of trade liberalisation.”
“The entire certificate of origin regime has therefore become an impediment to the free movement of goods in an era where trade facilitation is the name of the game.”
Under the new system, the entire process from application to delivery will be digitised. Additionally, the new system will allow for electronic submission for customs approval prior to export, a digital signature at customs, and transmission to the customs of the importing country through a secure system. This will minimize human intervention.
Aissata Koffi, Head of Customs Matters for the ECOWAS Community, noted that pilot countries selected for the e-CO system include Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Ghana.