A regional meeting focused on the implementation of SIGMAT, a system designed to streamline customs data exchange in West Africa, opened on November 18, 2024, in Praia, Cabo Verde. The meeting, organized by ECOWAS and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), aimed to assess the progress and challenges of SIGMAT’s deployment across ECOWAS Member States.
SIGMAT, which stands for the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit, has been in use since 2019. Its goal is to facilitate the smooth movement of goods by improving the exchange of customs data between countries in the region. The session also introduced SIGMAT’s version 2.0, evaluating its successes and identifying obstacles in its implementation.
Francis Sempore, Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), emphasized the importance of SIGMAT in enhancing trade integration and customs connectivity in West Africa. He described the tool as adaptable to various transit types, including international, internal, and multimodal transport, helping improve the efficiency of cross-border trade.
Cabo Verde’s Director of Customs, Osvaldo Rocha, highlighted SIGMAT’s significance for his country and the wider ECOWAS region. He pointed out that SIGMAT is crucial for modernizing customs administrations and simplifying transit procedures. Rocha also shared that Cabo Verde would implement Mobile SIGMAT to address the specific needs of the country’s inter-island trade.
Bernard Tayoh, Head of the ECOWAS Commission’s AfCFTA Implementation Program, spoke about GIZ’s role in supporting SIGMAT’s development, including technical and material assistance to ECOWAS and its Member States. Tayoh reiterated GIZ’s commitment to regional economic integration through continued collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission.
The meeting also included presentations by ECOWAS officials, including Aïssata Yaméogo Koffi, Officer in charge of Rules of Origin and Community Preferential Treatment, and Salifou Tiemtoré, Director of Customs Union and Taxation, offering further insight into SIGMAT’s progress in the region.
