1. BORDERLESS ALLIANCE 7th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Présented by: Mr. YODA Emmanuel, Président de l’Association des Cautions Nationales TRIE Directeur Général Adjoint de la CCI-BF en charge des Infrastructures et du Développement Durable
EXPERIENCE WITH ECOWAS ISRT NATIONAL GUARANTEES
Bamako, 9-11 May 2018

2. CONTENTS OF PRESENTATION
LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL GUARANTORS
STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ISRT GUARANTEE
DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE SINGLE GUARANTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS I. II
III IV V

3. I. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
1. CONVENTION A/P4/82 ( 29 May 1982 in Cotonou)
The ECOWAS Member States have adopted in Cotonou, the Interstate Road Transit System (ISRT),
The Convention aims essentially to:
- avoid the succession of customs procedures;
- facilitate the movement of means of transport and goods;
- establish reliable and regular statistics on ISRT goods;
3 TEXTS
1. Putting up an ISRT declaration (simple, unique, at starting point of ISRT operation)
2. Approval of road vehicles or conatainers
3. Guarantee of an approved obligor
3 basic conditions

4. I. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
2. Supplementary Convention A/SP/1/5/90,(30 May 1990 in Banjul)
Foundations of the missions of National Guarantees (Articles 3 to 7).
Quality of the National Guarantee, the consistency of the chain of National Guarantees (art.3.1),
Uniqueness of the National Guarantee by Member State (art.3.2), the uniqueness of the guarantee by operation (art.4),
Relationship of correspondence and joint responsibility, solidarity between obligors and with the main obligor (art.6). Consular Chambers (French-speaking States) and Insurance companies or Banks (English-speaking States)
Definition of obligations between sureties through an agreement (art.5)

5. I. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
3. Supplementary Agreement of Niamey (21 and 22 March 2005)
2 meetings on the same date: 7th General Meeting of the Guarantors in Niamey and Meeting of Experts of Customs Administrations of ECOWAS in Accra
The Supplementary Agreement mainly provides:
Mutual assistance between National Guarantors;
Equal distribution of expenses and revenues (single rate of 0.5% of the CIF value);
Setting up of local ISRT committees which will be in charge, the supervision of the operations of provision of the booklet and the collection of the guarantee fund and the establishment of the necessary supporting documents (statistics and others);
Development of a manual of administrative and financial procedures that will govern all operations related to the lifting of the single booklet and secure interests (adopted in August 2006)

6. II. ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL GUARANTORS
1.Guarantee of transit bonds
Chain of National Guarantors are supposed to guarantee ISRT on the Community territory of ECOWAS.
In fact, they each guarantee, as far as it is concerned, the transit of goods by road in their respective territories and carry out awareness- raising and promotion activities.
2. Awareness, lobbying and promotion actions
National guarantors: raising awareness among the various actors in collaboration with customs and transport administrations, especially at the launching phase ECOWAS/ISRT.
Coordination Office: several meetings with the administrative and political authorities of the various Member States to promote ISRT; lobbying to support the actions of its members facing difficulties.

7. III. STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ISRT GUARANTEE
1. Findings
The implementation of the ISRT Convention, suffers from many shortcomings with regard to its different conditions:
Single Customs Document: Computerized accounting is increasingly used in place of the physical booklet summary declaration provided by the Convention 82.
Upgrading of the fleet of transport vehicles: The fleet of road vehicles used for the interstate transport of goods is obsolete as a whole and does not comply with the sealing standards prescribed by the ISRT Convention.
Guarantee Fund: Each country crossed institutes its guarantee fund (ad valorem tax collected), whereas the Convention advocates a single levy. Each National Guarantor is responsible for the proper execution of the transit operations on its territory.

8. III. STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ISRT GUARANTEE
1. Findings (cont’d)
Between Burkina Faso and Togo: April 28, 2014 between the CCI- Togo and the CCI-Burkina Faso. Not implemented
Between Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali: 2007 Not implemented
Between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire : 5 February 2014, Implemented
3 Protocols of Agreement signed to implement the ECOWAS/ ISRT single guarantee

9. II. STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ISRT GUARANTEE
2. Feedback from the implementation of the single guarantee on the Abidjan- Ouagadougou corridor. (41% of BF import traffic)
Protocol signed on February 5, 2014 Amendment signed on March 19, Implementation since October 2015 Establishment of a ISRT committee that meets twice a month.
2.1. MECHANISM
IN CI
Customs declaration approval by national guarantee committees Loading
Electronic monotoring
AT BORDER
RCI Border Office stamp on the T1 and send back to the office of departure for closure of the transit operation
Transmission list of trucks and information on transit operations to the CCI-BF Niangoloko Border Office for checking and sending info to Abidjan for the ISRT Committee.
Resumption formalities transit / T1 DDU, on the basis of Abidjan customs declaration
Checking of CCI-BF payment of single contribution to Abidjan

10. III. DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE SINGLE GUARANTEE
lack of political will; Insufficient involvement of certain national guarantors
lack of knowledge of the mechanism by most public and private actors,
uncoordinated multiplicity of related initiatives;
total absence of approval mechanisms for means of transport
Requirement for the interconnection of customs IT systems, as a prerequisite for the implementation of the single guarantee
Unavoidable load break in the absence of the single customs document and with the multiplicity of tracking system;
Insufficient proven capacity of certain National Guarantors;
Obsolescence of legal texts
insufficiencies in confirmation of border crossing the customs office of the country of destination;
Obligation of systematic guarantee of any operator (including proven swindlers)

11. IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
The National Guarantors are convinced that an effective guarantee system requires:
automation of the contribution collection system and integration of guarantee activities with a regional dimension;
creation of a solidarity fund;;
interconnection, customs systems;
Interfacing of tracking systems;
Gradual approval of means of transport and establishment of a database of haulers and lorries;
Interconnection of ports, border terminals and inland terminals;
PAMOSET FC project between BF and CI (Dvpmt logiciel et interfaçage avec SYDONIA )

12. IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
Harmonization of the initiatives and the permanent dialogue between the various actors for the resolution of the identified and known difficulties.
===>>solution
Overall fluidity and the success of the ECOWAS/ISRT mechanism

13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!