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Mali Accedes To The Revised Kyoto Convention - 30/05/10
On 04/05/10 the Embassy of the Republic of Mali contracted to the International
Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System [HS
Code - Harmonized System] [revised Kyoto Convention] with the World Customs
Organization [WCO - www.wcoomd.org]. The Convention is regarded as a blueprint
for effective and modern Customs procedures. Recognized as a major trade
facilitation instrument, some of the revised Convention's key elements include
the application of simplified Customs procedures in a predictable and transparent
environment, the maximum use of information technology, the utilization of
risk management, a strong partnership with the trade and other stakeholders,
and a readily accessible system of appeals. [WCO 30/05/10]
Export Promotions Council, NAMACCIMAT Move to Promote
Trade - 20/05/10
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council [NEPC] and the Nigerian-Mali Chamber
of Commerce, Industry, Mines, Agriculture and Tourism [NAMACCIMAT] organised
a sensation seminar, tagged ‘The Malian Experience on ECOWAS Market’ aimed
at tapping the abundant economic resources between Nigeria and Mali. The
initiative arose from the NEPC's interactions with the Nigerian-Mali Chamber
of Commerce, and was a collaboration between the Public and Private Sector,
aimed at promoting the non-oil sector with a view to maximising the benefits
in trade and commercial activities within the sub-region.
The forum enabled the participants to offer strategies for tackling
obstacles hindering trade in order to speed up integration process which would
accelerate
trade and integration. Prominent among these were: the realisation of common
currency; removal of regional tariffs and obstructions; establishment of
mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution as well as Peace
keeping and
Security. The event also called on government to provide necessary infrastructures
such as considering the establishment of an off-shore Export Warehouse in
Mali in view of the wide acceptability of Nigerian products over there. [VAN
20/05/10]
Three papers were presented:
•
Developing Nigerian Products for the West Coast Market - Director, Products
Development Department, NEPC. The Paper maintained that the West Coast, including
Mali, remained the first constituency of Nigerian exports. Major challenges
to trade between the two [2] countries were identified in the area of Transportation,
Communication, Energy, Informal and non-recorded trade. The Paper however advocated
export of value added products instead of commodities; readiness to export
in a credible manner; provision of regional roadmaps; translation of product
information in French; dismantling of some road blocks; improvement in export
products quality; among others, as the way forward in successful market penetration
and sustenance.
•
Market Opportunities in Mali - President, NAMACCIMAT. The Chamber was created
in 2002 as a vehicle for developing and promoting bilateral, economic, artistic
and cultural relationship between Nigeria and Mali and for building of economic
ties with other member countries who share similar interests.
Mali offers a unique opportunity to reach out to many countries within the
sub-region due to its strategic position. It is considered the gateway to the
West African market as it shares land borders with Senegal, Niger, Burkina
Faso, Algeria, Cote d' Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Mauritania. Products
with export potentials were noted as Plastics, Textiles, Cement, Pharmaceuticals,
Cosmetics, Furniture, etc. Mali provides not only a ready market for
Nigerian products but also opportunity for investment in her economy in the
area of Agriculture, Energy, Mining, Transport, Tourism and Industry with a
Policy of a hundred percent ownership.
•
Exhibitions and Warehousing as Market Penetration Tools - Managing Director,
Koinonia Ventures Limited. The paper noted the importance of Exhibitions as
it allows potential customers have physical contact with the products while
the establishment of offshore export warehouse will encourage all categories
of exporters to showcase their products in Mali and its environs.
Delays Dakar-Bamako Corridor - 07/05/10
Due to insufficient rail capacities for 2 months, containers in transit to
Bamako suffer longer delays in Dakar before loading on trains. The present
transit time is arround 25 days, from cleared in Dakar to destination. This
delay is not likely to improve within the coming weeks despite all efforts
of our local teams. Although the rail option remains, we suggest you re-route
your Bamako containers via Abidjan, Conakry, Tema or Lome where transits
by road offers a better transit. There is currently a backlog of 1,000 TEU
in Dakar so load requests cannot be satisfied. [Local Agent 07/05/10]
New AGOA Resource Center - March 2010
The opening of a new African Growth & Opportunity Act [AGOA - www.agoa.gov]
Resource Center within the Investment Promotion Agency [API - www.apimali.gov.ml]
in Mali is expected to help businesses in the country improve their productivity
and marketing. The new center was inaugurated on 18/03/10 by U.S. Ambassador
Gillian Milovanovic, Mali's Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce
Ahmadou Abdoulaye Diallo, the Investment Promotion Agency's Director Mansour
Haidara
and Trade Hub Director Vanessa Adams.
Using AGOA effectively allows companies to take advantage of
duty-free status for over 6,400 products coming from eligible African countries.
AGOA Resource
Centers managed by the Trade Hub and public sector partners in 13 countries
across West Africa help businesses actually use the trade benefits to increase
their exports.
The resource centers helps businesses to take advantage of export
opportunities and develops national export strategies in each country promoting
each country's
competitive advantages. A good export strategy ensures that a sector benefits
from the synergies of stakeholders. To gain benefits from AGOA, government
and private sector in the region must work together to improve their competitiveness.
The ARC network will play a pivotal role in building that capacity.
Mali Documentation: NIF Now Required - 10/03/10
Please note as from 01/03/10 the Importers Fiscal Identity Number / Numero
d'Identification Fiscale [NIF] of each importer is compulsary for all shipments
to Mali. This number is the identification number of the Importer/Consignee
at the Malian Tax Ministry. We would request that the number is indicated
on the Bill of Lading [B/L].
CTBL Mali - New Customs Regulations - 16/09/09
Please click
here for new regulations requested by the Malian Customs
office [French only].
Effective immediately please ensure that the following details are declared
for all CTBL transit cargo from Dakar to Mali:
Customs code [Cargo]
Customs value
NIF Number- Fiscal indentity number of receiver in Mali.
CTBL: Dakar-Bamako Corridor - Kayes Bridge OPENED! - 07/09/09 We are pleased to announce that the Kayes bridge has finally re-opened for
CTBL traffic.
Mali Seeks Assistance From UNCTAD To Formulate National
Trade Policy - 11/08/09
Badly hit by the economic crisis and the appreciation of the Euro, and therefore
of the franc CFA that is directly linked to it, Malian exports have recently
become less competitive. To curb this trend the Malian government has asked
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [UNCTAD] to help it
formulate a national trade policy that seeks to connect trade liberalisation
with developmental goals. A workshop was held in Bamako to discuss a study
prepared by UNCTAD. One of its main suggestions is to develop the agricultural
sector to transform primary goods into products with a higher value added,
typical examples being gold and cotton.
The development impact of cotton could be significant and Mali
could not do without it, despite declining prices on the international market.
The sector
must therefore be further developed in an innovative way, for example by introducing
organic cotton. The study suggests continuing the privatisation of the Compagnie
Malienne pour le Développement des Textiles [CMDT], the national cotton
company. The government also foresees reforming the rice sector to "recapture" the
national market and even export rice to the region as well as the potential
for growth is beef, but this requires the establishment of a credible "cold
chain", the enhancement of transport conditions and supporting the federation
of manufacturers of leathers goods.
Basic infrastructure must also be developed with the study acknowledging
that this remains one of the major constraints to economic integration. Access
corridors
to the sea are limited, the transport sector is inefficient and dominated by
cartels, the road network is poor, and there is no "cold chain" for
transporting goods that have to be refrigerated. Eliminating transport bottlenecks
is a major challenge and it requires cooperation with neighbouring transit
countries, among other measures. As a result, there is an urgent need to continue
the reconstruction work on the Bamako – Dakar railway line and to eliminate
unofficial payments on the roads.
Despite recent progress, telecommunications and energy also remain too costly
and the developments of information and communication technologies need to
become a priority. The results of the workshop are to be translated into a
national policy that will help concrete these objectives. [IPS 11/08/09]
Dakar-Bamako - Kayes Bridge Still Closed - July 2009
Although the Kayes bridge
was planned to re-open this month work has been delayed. Re-opening is now
scheduled for September.
Mali Records 5.2% Growth In 2008 - 16/07/09
Mali recorded a 5.2% economic growth in 2008, against 4.3% the previous year,
in spite of the international financial crisis. The increase in GDP is mainly
due to the national rice initiative project and the increase in cereal production,
which reached over 4.8 million tons in 2008, against 3.8 million in 2007.
However, the Malian government lamented that cotton and gold production
fell in 2008.
According to government statistics, the quantity of gold production dropped
from 56.8 tons in 2007 to 52.8 in 2008. Cotton and gold are the key foreign
exchange earners for the country. Meanwhile, the service sector [transportation,
telecommunications, banking] recorded a 4.9% growth in 2008, compared with
10.4 in 2007. In view of the global economic outlook, the Malian government
is expecting a modest 4.8% growth for 2009. [PANA 16/07/09]
CTBL: Dakar-Bamako Corridor - 27/02/09
Please note that as of 01/05/09 to
30/06/09 the Kayes bridge on the border between Senegal and Mali will be
closed to traffic.
We will not be able to offer a road option between Dakar and Bamako during
this period. A rail option from Dakar is still available however we anticipate
heavy congestion.
We would suggest you therfore offer other available routes to Bamako:
Via Abidjan
Mali: OT Africa Line offers an inland service to Bamako via Abidjan by road
as an alternative to our existing service via Dakar. Via Conakry
Mali: OT Africa Line can offer a quick service to Bamako via Conakry as
an alternative to Dakar. Tariffs for this service are competitive. Via Lomé
Mali: OT Africa Line can offer an inland service from Lome to Bamako. Via Tema
Mali: Our CTBL road service remains competitive and is running efficiently
to Bamako.
We remind you that it is compulsory to provide copies of invoices
in English, to ensure better transit of cargoes. We do not accept vehicles.
Please note that Dakar - Kayes remains available by road during
the closure of the bridge.
Malian Transport Operators Boycott Dakar & Nouakchott
Ports - 09/01/09
Since Monday 05/01/09 the Conseil Malien des Chargeurs [CMC] have launched
a 72 hours boycott of both Dakar and Nouakchott port over rising costs and
inefficiencies. An official announcement by CMC and the Conseil Malien des
Transporteurs Routiers / Mali Council of Road Carriers (CMTR) noted that
during this period all professional bodies and trade unions should halt transport
along the Dakar-Bamako and Nouakchott-Bamako corridors deviating their cargoes
along other routes.
For two months the situation has been critical along these
two corridors. Reviewing Senegal, grievances mainly concern the rise in
customs clearance
charges and harbour taxes. The Dakar port authorities have decided to tax
500 Fcfa per ton for all transit cargo via Dakar resulting in zero profitability
for many transit companies.
The boycott hopes to initiate government action
in Senegal and Mauritania and to review the current situation, particularly
as Abidjan, Conakry, Accra
and Lomé offer similar trading environments and facilities which can
maintain consumer prices and supply of goods to Mali.
After the 72 hours a
truce will be observed during the remainder of January, yet if no agreeable
solution is found the CMC will have no choice but to cease
transport activities via Senegal & Mauritania in the future. [CRIDEM 09/01/09]
Malian Warehouse in the Port of Abidjan - 16/07/08
The Malian government has launched the construction of a warehouse in the Port
of Abidjan [PAA – Port Autonome
d’Abidjan] where goods from/to Mali are forwarded, in order to increase
traffic with Cote d’Ivoire, its “historical” partner. This warehouse of 11,000m² is intended to respond to the “expectation
of large flows of goods from and
towards Mali”, said Marcel Gossio, director of the PAA, during the launch
ceremony. The Malian Minister of
Equipment and Transport Hamed Diané Semega has noted that access to
the port of Abidjan is of such importance
for Mali that all will be made to maintain the Abidjan-Bamako axis in the best
possible conditions.
Following the political and military crisis of September 2002,
Malian businessmen shied away from Abidjan and
looked towards other ports in Senegal, Mauritania and Togo. The traffic of
goods towards Mali from Abidjan
collapsed in 2003 at 176,629 tonnes against 637,646 tonnes in 2002. It then
rose slightly from 2004 [251,958
tonnes] and reached 374,256 tonnes in 2007. Mali imports rice, fertilizers,
chemical products, concrete iron and
exports shea butter and fibre cotton, of which the country is a major exporter.
OTAL Trade Notice: Mali/Senegal Customs - 07/07/08
The Malian customs authority in Dakar have issued a reminder concerning documentation
procedures for all goods to Mali.
All goods must be declared with the correct cargo type.
A description as 'miscellaneous cargo' is NOT acceptable.
All cargo descriptions on Bills of Lading, Rail Declaration [TIF] and any other
documentaion must be specific. Click
here for the official notice. [Issued
24/06/08]
Ministry Of Transport Circular: Malian Transit Cargo
To/From Senegalese Ports- 31/10/07
Please note that within the framework of Ministerial Notice No07-2240/MET-MEF-MIC-SG
issued 27/08/07 [a modification of Ministerial Notice No06-2882/MET-MEF-MIC-SG
issued 27/11/06] all cargo in transit through a Senegalese port to or from
Mali will be liable for the following port surcharge 'Redevance Maritime':
500 FCFA per freight ton of conventional imports
10,000 FCFA per vehicle [tourist /utility] and heavy machines
10,000 FCFA per 20TEU
20,000 FCFA per 40TEU
The above taxes are effective from 1st November 2007. For the
official Ministerial notification please view OTAL’s
website here [3
pages].
IMF Approves US$2.1 Million Disbursement-
31/10/07
The IMF has completed the sixth and final review of Mali's economic performance
under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement allowing
the release of US$2.1 million to Mal. This will bring the total amount
drawn under the arrangement to US$14.6 million. [IMF 31/10/7]
Malian Transit Cargo To/From Senegalese Ports - 01/11/07
Please
note that within the framework of Ministerial Notice No07-2240/MET-MEF-MIC-SG
issued 27/08/07 all cargo in transit through a Senegalese port to or from
Mali will be liable for the following port surcharge 'Redevance Maritime'.
These
taxes are effective from 1st November 2007.
500 FCFA per freight ton of conventional imports
10,000 FCFA per vehicle [tourist /utility] and heavy machines
10,000 FCFA per 20TEU
20,000 FCFA per 40TEU
For the official Ministerial notification please click
here.
President Amadou Toumani Touré Wins Second Term-
04/05/07
Official results in Mali's presidential election on 29/04/07 gave victory to
the incumbent, Amadou Toumani Touré who has been elected to a second
term with nearly 70% of the votes.
Eight candidates vied for the position as voter turnout for the poll reached
only 36%. Key opposition figure was Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a former prime
minister and head of the national assembly.
Mali's opposition say the poll was
marred by fraud and members of the military were ordered to vote for incumbent
President Toure. They have formally asked
the Constitutional Court to annul the election. However annulment is relatively
unlikely, as foreign observers declared the poll mostly fair.
Touré led
a coup in 1991 to overthrow a military dictatorship. He handed power to the
democratically elected president the following year, and only
returned to power after being elected in 2002. [BBC 04/05/07]
World Bank Support For Mali's Poverty Reduction Strategy-
06/03/07
The World Bank's Executive Board has approved an International Development
Association [IDA] credit in the amount of US$45 million to help the Government
of Mali achieve the goals set forth in its Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy
Framework [GPRSF].
This comprises programs grouped into three main areas: [i] infrastructure
development and strengthening of the productive sectors, including food security,
rural development, development of small/medium-sized enterprises [SMEs], and
sustainable natural resource management; [ii] bolstering the structural reform
program [composed of public sector reforms, the investment climate, the financial
sector, governance, and civil society capacity]; and [iii] strengthening the
social services sector.
Specifically the operation is expected to help lower transport and transit
costs by ensuring regular road maintenance and streamlined customs procedures
for the private sector.
The Malian economy nevertheless remains fragile, owing to its vulnerability
to rainfall levels and fluctuations in commodity prices [mainly cotton, oil,
and gold]. The economy is dependent on agriculture and gold production, and
exports are heavily titled toward gold and cotton - together they account for
90 percent of export earnings. Mali faces challenges linked to its underdeveloped
infrastructure and transport services, as well as the prevailing political
and economic situations in neighbouring countries. The failure to resolve the
Ivorian crisis continues to cast a shadow on the business climate, particularly
on road transport and investment prospects. [WB 06/03/07]
Unrest In Guinea Impacts Malian Imports/Exports-
14/02/07
With the unrest in Guinea, Mali is seeing another of its direct neighbours
in difficulty and yet another access to the sea being blocked. Only a few
years ago, the Ivory Coast crisis meant Guinea had been considered as an
option for goods to be imported or exported through the sea using the port
of Conakry.
Cost of transport for goods is a decisive factor for the non competitiveness
of several products in Mali export/Import. It leaves Dakar [Senegal], Tema
[Ghana] and Lome [Togo] as the only reliable outlet to the sea. [OTAL Agent
14/02/07]
Transrail Minimizes Tariff Rise- 01/02/07
it has now been announced that the private railway company Transrail have
postponed the application of a new tariff and have now limited any increases
to a lower
level. [OTAL Agent 01/02/07]
IMF Approves US$2 Million Disbursement / Extends
Commitment Period To October 2007 - 14/02/07
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund [IMF] has completed
the fifth review of Mali's economic performance under the Poverty Reduction
and Growth Facility [PRGF] arrangement. The completion of the review enables
the release of SDR1.3 million [about US$2 million], which will bring the
total amount drawn under the arrangement to SDR 8 million [about US$12
million].
The Executive Board also approved Mali's request to extend the
commitment period of the PRGF arrangement until October 31, 2007 to allow
for the completion
of the sixth review. The three-year PRGF arrangement with Mali was approved
on June 23, in a total amount of SDR9.33 million [about US$13.9 million].
[IMF 14/02/07]
Mali Compact To The US Millennium Challenge Account -
14/02/07
In November 2006 President Toure attended the Signing of the Mali Compact
to the US Millennium Challenge Account in Washington. The Mali compact
is worth
US$461million and is the biggest grant ever to be received by the country.
The grant will build a new airport as well as an industrial Park in Bamako.
The grant is to be executed over a five year period.
Contacts and Links
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Chambre de Commerce, et d'Industrie de Bamako
Place de la Liberté, (B.P.46)
Bamako, Mali Tel: +223 225036
The information given in this document has been
given in good faith and believed to be correct at the time of writing. Please
verify these facts with other relevant sources before using this as the basis
of any action taken as we regret we cannot accept liability for an consequences
due to inaccuracies in this information.
"THE CARRIER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISSING OR INCORRECT
IDR/CRI NUMBERS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY REMAINS WITH THE MERCHANT. ANY FINES/
PENALTIES LEVIED AGAINST THE CARRIER ARE FOR THE MERCHANT'S ACCOUNT"
