CUSTOMS AT THE SERVICE OF MOROCCAN COMPANIES

As well as setting out the contribution of customs to business competitiveness, this conference also, in return, enabled the institution to learn about the expectations of the business world. Thanks to the relevant presentation by the Director General of the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration, Mr Nabyl Lakhdar, this round table, held before Mr Mehdi Benzaari, President of the CCSM, representatives of companies affiliated to the Chamber, economic operators and financial players, enabled the various participants to share their questions and learn about the customs clearance procedures dedicated to companies.

A catalyst for economic growth

For customs, supporting companies means acting at economic, tax and security levels. For some time now, customs has been modernising its methods in order to increase its productivity. It has committed to becoming an accelerator of investment, a facilitator of import and export operations and also a support for companies. Indeed, “it is because companies generate economic activity and create jobs for our fellow citizens that we wanted to do our part by becoming a partner determined to ensure a safe commercial and economic environment enabling your operations to run smoothly under the best conditions,” said Mr Lakhdar. To achieve this goal, customs decided to fully digitise its services in 2018. Like most Moroccan administrations, it intends to strengthen its computerised processing channels with operators. This saves time and contributes to traceability. Moreover, operations such as issuing customs declarations, paying customs debts, bank guarantees, signatures and exchanges with partner organisations have been computerised. Thanks to these innovations, customs will be more useful to companies and will offer them the products and services they need in terms of both customs regimes and procedures. It is in this perspective that its partnership with the National Ports Agency (ANP) and the National Airports Office (ONDA) is set, with the aim of fostering the competitiveness of port and airport platforms. “This collaboration, in addition to the many advantages it brings, reduces customs clearance costs and times,” added Mr Lakhdar. A piece of information that reassured the conference participants and prompted them to question the Directorate on how long containers stay in ports.

Security beyond facilitation

Ensuring the competitiveness of companies also means protecting them from smuggling. The mission of supporting companies includes securing the environment in which they operate in order to protect them from counterfeiting and fraud. A battle that customs has won brilliantly. “In 2017 alone, customs seized 5.3 million counterfeit products, an increase of 15% on the previous year. And according to estimates, at this rate, we will reach 30 to 40% next year,” confirmed its Director General. That is not all. On the tax side, customs revenue was estimated at 95 billion dirhams in 2017. The same year, 2 billion dirhams in duties and taxes were collected from adjustments to declared values. As for tobacco, 22.9 million units of smuggled cigarettes were confiscated. And it is to maintain this course that the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration has put in place a 2020-2021 strategy with a view to achieving optimistic but attainable objectives.

A long-term vision

According to the Director General, customs wants to raise the bar even higher. It is aiming for 100 billion dirhams in revenue this year. Moreover, as part of its 2020-2021 strategy, a national anti-smuggling brigade will be created. “Fraudsters innovate, and so do we!” the Director General joked. A customs training institute, which will train Moroccans as well as foreigners, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, should also be set up in order to enrich and update their skills in this field. To this end, a tailor-made programme has been drawn up to improve the administration’s governance, the effectiveness of controls, border security, anticipation of changes in the environment and the digitisation of customs formalities. The results of most of these projects look positive and are already generating enthusiasm and commitment from all stakeholders.

TESTIMONIALS

We are delighted with this excellent event. Our warmest congratulations to the CCSM on this success. It was an opportunity to exchange with economic operators and bring them to the same level of information as the Customs Administration. They were able to learn about our projects. And thanks to the various questions raised, we will be able to review our priorities and listen more closely to our environment. Customs has always been perceived by economic operators as a brake rather than a catalyst. However, thanks to this new approach, the greatest number of players will be able to benefit from our products and services, which will boost the economy and investment in the country. This meeting was therefore a timely opportunity to discuss, raise awareness and inform the parties concerned about the ins and outs of our new strategy. Mr Nabyl Lakhdar , Director General of the Customs and Indirect Taxes Administration

A great event with customs! It plays a major and strategic role in Morocco’s competitiveness. The projects presented by Nabyl Lakhdar are extremely positive, especially the one moving towards complete digitisation of services, which is in line with the global trend but also represents an opportunity to increase the competitiveness of Moroccan companies. Mr Mehdi Benzaari , President of the CCSM