Following the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility [PRGF] approval of US$1.3 million in June 2007 which was allocated to focus amongst others on the improvement of the port of Cotonou we have approached the Benin Port Authority to find out what the latest developments are:

Q: What future development projects are proposed?
A: Development projects envisaged for the Port of Cotonou are, amongst others are:

• Projects within the port section of the Millennium Challenge Account Benin program regarding the construction of two new quays, the sand trap extension, the acquisition and installation of security and
anti-pollution equipment and the installation of a dry bulk conveyor;

• The construction of a dry port in Parakou, another one in Tori and a dry port for oil to decongest the current port.

• The construction of a power plant to guarantee the port’s energy autonomy.

Q: Danish company Boskalis have been contacted to carry out maintenance at the port for 3 years commencing 01/10/07. One activity already undertaken is the dredging of the port with an estimated volume of 10,000,000 m3. Please expand what dredging works were done and any other projects Boskalis will carry out in the future?

A: The Port Autonome de Cotonou has signed a contract with Atlantique Dragage SA (from the Boksalis Group) for the execution of maintenance dredging works over the period October 2007 – October 2010. The quantity of dredged sand for the first campaign from November to December 2007 was of approximately 383,000m3.

Q: What is being done by the Benin port authority to maintain a draft of at least 10m in the future?

A: In order to maintain in the long term a decent draft in the Port of Cotonou, the Authority will first carry out several dredging works until 2010 and then extend the sand trap over 300 metres by 2011.

Q: Please expand on what the Benin port authority is doing to shorten clearing formalities at Cotonou port?

A: These measures do not only affect clearance but all cargo collection and loading procedures. Regarding the customs process, several reforms implemented at this level will allow us to streamline and shorten clearing formalities: capacity building and performance enhancement of the customs IT system; modernization of declarations management; increase of personal within the Customs service, etc.

Q: In the future will it be possible for customers to clear their containers within 24 hours?

A: Our objective is to handle all clearing procedures through the port in 24h. At Customs level, the client can settle all customs duties in 2 hours. The “Comité de Coodination des Activités Portuaires” is the administrative body where all problems related to port operations are discussed and solutions are proposed. This committee has created a new structure named “Comité 24 Heures” whose mission is to supervise the implementation of all measures regarding the swift release of goods from the Port of Cotonou, and to identify obstacles to the speed and competitiveness of port operations.

Q: What are the modalities the Benin government and their Nigerian counterpart are looking at for a more cordial and liberal trade exchange across the border?

A: Trade links between Benin and Nigeria are regulated by the Memorandum of Gbadagry signed by the two Heads of State. This document defines the conditions of circulation of goods according to their nature, provenance and origin and creates national structures for supervising their implementation.

Q: Do we expect an improvement of congestion in Cotonou in 2008 which has previously had a serious impact on exports to Benin?

A: Regarding vessel capacity, the congestion problem is solved through the dredging of the dock and entry channel. Studies are ongoing in order to find a long term solution to the silting up of the dock. Regarding the port area, the relocation of some activities outside the port and the transfer of customs warehouses to other sites have greatly improved operations within the port.

Q: How has the growth of Lomé port impacted the trade flows through Cotonou port?

A: Traffic has greatly increased during the last two years, both captive traffic and transit. Therefore the port of Cotonou has suffered no adverse impact from the growth of another port.

Q: What are the import/export figures for 2007 and how do these relate to 2006/2005?

A: Total traffic of cargo has gone from 5,152,859 tonnes (imports: 4,556,762, exports: 596,097) in 2005 to 5,369,134 tonnes (imports: 4,854,794; exports: 514,340), a progression of 4.20%. At the end of 2007, provisional traffic of cargo loaded/unloaded in the Port of Cotonou was 6,165,777 tonnes (imports: 5,548,761; exports: 617,016) against 5,369,134 tonnes in 2006, representing a significant
progression of 14.84%.

Q: Who are Benin’s main trading partners in terms of cargo flows?

A: Niger is the first national client of the Port of Cotonou after Benin itself. Then we have Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali. Cotonou also handles almost 1 million tonnes of cargo from or towards China. Economic operators from these countries are privileged trading partners of the Port of Cotonou.

Q: What is currently being done to attract more traffic to Cotonou and to landlocked countries served by Cotonou?

A: Several measures aim to enhance client satisfaction through:

• Enhanced quality of service

• Enhanced processing times

• Enhanced security of people and goods within the port and the roads

• Reduction of overall costs for port users.

Communications tools are implemented to keep contact with these clients in order to inform them in real time and to gather their main concerns. A Representation has been launched in July 2005 which acts as a liaison office with customers amongst countries involved with the port community of Benin. The following telephone lines are available to clients who can leave their message day and night: 81000000 and 21314387.

Q: What about the use of dry ports?

A: The dry port of Zongo [nearby the port area] is functioning well. Its launch has allowed us to relocate a large part of devanning activities and processing of containerized goods. The flow of trucks within the port has been reduced by 3/4. Spaces have been freed allowing for greater fluidity and speed of operations. Other dry ports will be launched in the short term for containers and oil.

Q: What is the procedure in place for inland shipments to Niamey [Niger] and Ouagadougou [Burkina Faso]?

A: Transit goods are escorted by Customs. Trucks, once loaded, are regrouped according to their destination and escorted to the border of the destination country.