What are the real working conditions of Benin customs officers? ? It is to answer this question that the Director General of Customs and Indirect Duties has been on a tour a few days ago.. In this context, he was at the Departmental Directorate of Customs and Indirect Rights of Atacora-Donga, Wednesday 14 last october.
"It was necessary that we do this tour to see what are the difficulties that colleagues are having on the one hand and on the other hand to give them some advice", said the boss of the Benin customs.
An opportunity seized by the departmental director Atacora-Donga, Richard LEKE to present some complaints. "We ask for your help to improve our living and working conditions", he said before adding that "the internet connection remains a big problem in some units for sending the minutes".
Always among the difficulties, Richard LEKE a évoqué le manque de moyens roulants. « Nous sollicitons votre indulgence pour la dotation des services en moyens roulants à deux et à quatre roues. This will allow better descents on the ground ”, he stressed.
To various concerns, le Directeur général des douanes a essayé d’apporter des réponses idoines. « C’est devenue une nécessité aujourd’hui de vous doter de moyens roulants à deux roues. For rolling stock with four wheels, I would like to tell you that vehicles will be sent very soon ”.
Charles INOUSSA Sacca BOCO invited each of the agents to make more efforts to support the government. "Under 2020, we are currently close to 75% . But they say that as long as there is nothing left to do, nothing gets done ". This is why, he continues, "We believe that these last three months should still allow us to mobilize more resources for the benefit of the Public Treasury".
Visit to the Customs brigade of SONAHOULOU
After the exchange session, the Director General and his entire troop took charge of the SONAHOULOU Brigade. Sonahoulou, is located in the commune of Ouaké in the northwest of Benin. This is a border area with neighboring Togo. Here Charles INOUSSA Sacca BOCO visited the new premises of this unit under construction. Due to its proximity to Togo, Sonahoulou is a trading zone where businessmen and traders come and go.
Thanks to the dynamism of the Chief Brigade, Receiver Clément VIKPODIGNI and his deputy DAKPE Comlan, large quantities of contraband were seized. This is more than 75 cans of vegetable oils, bags of nuts and fines and boxes of fake medicine. "These are products that for the most part are prohibited from importing or exporting by land. We seized cans of vegetable oils from Togo ", indicates Clément VIKPODIGNI. He also took the opportunity to appeal to the population. "Customs are there to support you in the procedures when they comply with the regulations".
Satisfied with the work done, the DG of customs asked them to continue on the same path.