Imagine a nation's customs system as a complex transportation hub, with every import and export shipment flowing like ceaseless traffic. What happens when this hub's core functions—particularly goods valuation—remain dependent on external entities? The Democratic Republic of Congo faced precisely this challenge before embarking on a transformative capacity-building journey.
Reclaiming Valuation Authority: Congo's Strategic Decision
For years, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGDA) had outsourced critical functions—including customs valuation—to private inspection companies. While this arrangement temporarily addressed capacity gaps, it created new challenges in efficiency, cost, and national economic sovereignty.
To better serve the public while balancing control with trade facilitation, DGDA launched an ambitious reform and modernization program. A central objective: reclaiming outsourced functions to establish autonomous control over customs valuation.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) responded to DGDA's request for technical assistance by deploying experts to assess and enhance customs officials' valuation capabilities—preparing them to reassume these critical responsibilities.
WCO Technical Assistance: Comprehensive Assessment and Capacity Building
From January 12-23, 2015, WCO experts conducted a thorough diagnostic of Congo's customs valuation system. The assessment identified strengths, weaknesses, and actionable improvement recommendations through multiple data collection methods.
Experts held in-depth discussions with DGDA managers and senior staff handling valuation matters, examining both policy frameworks and operational details. They also convened working sessions with customs brokers—key intermediaries who provided firsthand insights into practical valuation challenges.
The mission included field visits to provincial customs offices, where experts observed valuation and clearance procedures firsthand. DGDA officials demonstrated remarkable transparency throughout this diagnostic phase, establishing strong foundations for subsequent reforms.
Modernizing Customs Tools: Risk Management and Post-Clearance Audits
Following its assessment, the WCO team recommended that DGDA fully implement provisions from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Article VII while adopting modern tools like risk management and post-clearance audits (PCA)—key components of WCO's revenue collection toolkit.
Risk management enables customs to focus limited resources on high-risk shipments through systematic identification and evaluation, improving inspection accuracy while minimizing disruptions to legitimate trade. Post-clearance audits examine company records after goods release, detecting potential violations like undervaluation or false origin claims to ensure tax compliance.
Alignment with International Standards: The Niamey Declaration and Trade Facilitation
WCO strongly endorsed DGDA's strategy to reclaim core functions, which aligns with both the Niamey Declaration on pre-shipment inspection companies and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The Niamey Declaration encourages reduced reliance on pre-shipment inspections in favor of building autonomous customs capacity.
The TFA promotes simplified procedures, transparency, and cooperation to facilitate international trade. DGDA's reclaimed valuation authority represents a significant step toward trade facilitation—enhancing clearance efficiency, reducing trade costs, and improving Congo's investment attractiveness.
The Long-Term Impact: Reshaping Congo's Trade Landscape
Through WCO collaboration, DGDA not only strengthened its valuation capacity but also revitalized national economic prospects. Autonomous valuation empowers Congo to safeguard fiscal interests, combat tax evasion, and boost revenue. More importantly, it establishes transparent, predictable trade conditions that foster fair business environments and attract investment.
Capacity building remains an ongoing process requiring sustained commitment. Continued partnership with international organizations like WCO will help DGDA adopt global best practices while developing a professional, efficient customs workforce to support national development.
Congo's customs modernization offers valuable lessons for developing nations seeking greater participation in global trade. Beyond valuation expertise, this represents a strategic component of national economic development—with Congo actively reshaping Africa's commercial future through decisive institutional reform.