Ebola Economic Impact

As the fight to contain Ebola continues, the economic impact is already being felt both in the three most affected countries and throughout the region.

The World Bank reports that Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia could see a loss of $97 million in trade if the outbreak is contained quickly and up to $809 million if containment is delayed. These may not seem like very high figures in US terms but, remembering that these countries are still among the poorest in the world, one can see that the effect could be devastating. Overall, West Africa could see a $32 billion negative impact in 2015.

According to the World Bank, "Early estimates for growth in Guinea have been halved from 4.5% to 2.4% as a result of the disease. Already among the poorest countries in West Africa with a population of 12 million, Guinea has seen the biggest losses in its agriculture industry. An exodus of farm workers from the countryside has meant lower exports of key products like cocoa and palm oil."

Sierra Leone was in the process of becoming a middle income country with growth rates in double digits. Now forecasts from World Bank indicate zero growth in 2015 as the disease spreads to almost every district in the country.

Liberia is the worst affected country both in terms of cases, deaths and the rapid spread of Ebola. Negative economic growth is possible in 2015 if the disease is not quickly contained. Already the impact has been clear - 6 incoming commercial flights per week, compared to 27 before the outbreak; closure of one of the two largest mining companies; reduction in social and business interaction causing problems for almost every economic sector. 

Even countries not directly affected by Ebola are suffering economic hardships. Ghana reports evacuation of non-essential ex-pat personnel by many companies especially in the mining sector. Some local hotels report occupancy rates at 30% or lower. 

Help is coming from many sources including CDC, USAID and American Logistics Aid Network. 

The AGS branch in Monrovia reports handling over 700 tonnes of materials on behalf of the World Health Organization. Our branches in Conakry and Freetown are also receiving shipments and expect much more in the coming months.

We can only hope that the assistance will help control the disease. The economic impact will not be restricted to the affected countries, or even the region, if the outbreak continues. Consider that the SARS virus in 2003 is estimated to have had a $50 billion negative impact on the global economy. It infected 8,000 people and caused 800 deaths. Ebola has already infected in excess of 10,000 people, half of whom have died. While reports of the limited cases in the US and elsewhere have possibly been over emphasized, the danger in West Africa is very real.

TW

This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.

Updates - Kenya-Uganda Railroad

The second post I uploaded to this blog concerned the infrastructural challenges faced by many African countries and focused on transport problems between the Port of Mombasa and the Kenyan capital in Nairobi. Happily, there has been some progress.

The Kenya railroad project seems set to proceed with funding from China. The project will include a standard gauge rail line from Mombasa to Nairobi, for which funding has already been secured and a contract agreed with the China Road and bridge Corporation (CRBC). Work is expected to be completed by 2017 on this section. The new railroad is expected to cut freight transit times to 8 hours, from the current 36 hour journey and passenger trains will complete the trip in 4 hours.

In separate agreements, signed and witnessed by the Presidents of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, the Exim Bank of China will fund 90% of the cost of extending the railway from Nairobi to Kampala with links to Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Kenya will fund the remaining 10%.

The implications for the region are enormous because the Uganda-Kenya border is home to what may be the most significant oil and gas reserves outside of Saudi Arabia. The Ugandan reserves are estimated at 6.5 billion barrels, although how much is recoverable with current technology is still debated. However, most experts agree that oil production in the region will last at least 30 years. The ability to haul equipment and supplies to the area is currently a major obstacle to development of the fields and the new railroad will represent a huge step forward.

Just today, UK based Tullow Oil announced plans to begin drilling activities in the Turkana region of Kenya after discovery of fresh deposits in what company officials called an "excellent start to exploration campaign".

No doubt we will see more news on this topic in the coming months.

In unrelated and somewhat topsy turvy news, Rwanda announced plans to screen airline passengers arriving from the United States and Spain due to the confirmation of Ebola cases in both countries. I can't say that I blame them.

TW

This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.

Nigeria Import and Export process

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME: 

 Sea shipments  4 to 8 weeks (Lagos) / 5 to 9 weeks (Abuja)* 
 Air shipments  2 to 4 weeks* 

*providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Nigeria 

DOCUMENTATION: 

Diplomat 

 Original passport  
 Exemption forms validated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (CC1 and/or CC3) 
 Original Bill of Lading / AWB 
 TIN (Tax Identification Number) from the FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Services). This is the TIN from the Diplomatic Organization. 
 Detailed and valued inventory list 
 The Embassy will be required to write letters of authority, addressed to: 

1.
The Area Comptroller of Customs, 
Nigeria Customs Service, 
Ikeja Airport (if Airfreight shipment) or 
Apapa Port, Tin Can Port, Pan Atlantic Area Command (if Sea freight shipment) 

2.
The Officer in charge, 
NDLEA, 
Ikeja Airport (if Airfreight shipment) or 
Apapa Port, Tin Can Port, Pan Atlantic Area Command (if Sea freight shipment) 

3.
The Officer in charge, 
SSS, 
Ikeja Airport (if Airfreight shipment) or 
Apapa Port, Tin Can Port, Pan Atlantic Area Command (if Sea freight shipment) 

4.
The Managing Director of Mid Maritime Services Ltd if the cargo is transferred to that terminal  
The original Bill of lading must be stamped by the Embassy. 
The exemption forms (CC1 and/or CC3) have to be delivered to AGS Nigeria, preferably several working days prior to the arrival of the cargo.  

Exemption process (for diplomatic shipments) 

 minimum 2 weeks 
 Documents needed: original BL or original AWB, packing list, valued inventory, letters of authority 
 Using these documents, the diplomatic organization has to process the following forms (exemption documents) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, from the above listed documents o CC1 Form for importation of personal effects or items meant for the use of the Embassy o CC3 Form for importation of vehicle  

 Once the ministry has approved the documents, a copy is sent to the diplomatic organization and another directly to the Nigerian Customs. The letter often gets lost, which delays the process – it is important to follow-up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get the tracking number of the copy that has been sent and trace the receiver at the customs in Lagos. 
 Shipper does not need to be present in Nigeria for process to start. Indeed, diplomatic shipments are consigned to the diplomatic organization, the whole clearing can be done without the diplomat being in the country. 
 Exemption process can (and should preferably) start prior to arrival of shipment. The time required to obtain these exemption documents depends on the diplomatic organization’s relationship and capacity to follow-up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and varies between 2 weeks and several months 
 In some cases, it is possible to start the process without the approved forms, i.e. get a provisional release. The Embassy then has to ask approval of customs, under the condition that they forward the proper CC1 or CC3 forms as soon as available. This is not always accepted by the Nigerian customs.   

_________________________________________________________________________________


Nigerian Returning Citizen

In order to qualify to import USED personal effects, they must comply with the following:

 Must possess a valid Nigerian passport (e-passport)
 Minimum duration of stay out of Nigeria: 9 months uninterrupted
 No visits to Nigeria for more than 60 days in total over 2 years prior to return
 Must be relocating to Nigeria for good and be physically present in Nigeria at the time of arrival of the shipment and for the whole duration of the clearing process
 Must have obtained a personal TIN (Tax Identification Number) from the FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Services) Customs will check all entry and exit stamps in the Nigerian passport(s). The returning citizen MUST be physically present in Nigeria during the customs clearing process.
Note that Nigerian customs often query returning residents whose records show a lot of travels in and out of Nigeria in the few months preceding their last entry in Nigeria.
 Original Nigerian passport(s) – COMPULSORY. Required for the whole duration of the clearing process. An E-passport is compulsory since the beginning of 2012.
 Original Bill of Lading / AWB
 Full contact details in Nigeria – COMPULSORY
       o Complete residence address in Lagos
       o Description of access (floors, elevators, possibility of parking a trailer truck close to entrance               of your residence…)
       o E-mail address
       o 2 telephone numbers
 Valued inventory (dated and signed) – COMPULSORY
 Copy of packing-list in English
 Letter of refund of container deposit/excess demurrage – COMPULSORY (sea freight). We will pay the demurrage charges to the shipping line and the container deposit (if any) on your behalf. We will provide in due course a template of the letter for you to sign, requesting the shipping line to refund the container deposit and the excess demurrage charged if any, to us directly.
 Personal TIN (Tax Identification Number) from the FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Services). AGS can provide you with one free of charge.

 Letter of introduction from employer in Nigeria – RECOMMENDED. It is strongly recommended, especially for imports by SEA freight, that you provide a letter (original on letterhead) from your employer in Nigeria, stating:
       o A brief history of your employment abroad (if you have been employed by the same company)
       o The position you will be filling with your company in Nigeria
       o If you have been travelling in and out of Nigeria in the months preceding your return for professional reasons, the letter should state the reasons.
 Any other proof of employment/residence abroad – RECOMMENDED. Also recommended, especially for imports by SEA freight, are documents proving you have been residing abroad such as:        o Letter from employer abroad stating the duration of employment abroad, position held etc.
       o Copy of letter of termination of contract
       o Any other supporting document
 Certificate of Fumigation if cargo contains wooden crates or packaging

_________________________________________________________________________

Expatriate  


 ORIGINAL passport – COMPULSORY. Your original passport will be required for the whole clearing process. It can be released to you during the process, but with consequences on the process. Originals are mandatory. Even legalized copies will not be accepted.
 Original Bill of Lading / AWB
 Work Permit
 ORIGINAL resident permit (CERPAC (Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Scheme) or green card) – COMPULSORY. The original of your CERPAC or green card will be required for the whole duration of the clearing process. It can be released to you during the process, but with consequences on the process. Your CERPAC must bear the “embossed seal” from Nigerian Immigration. It must be signed in the “Expatriate’s signature” space, and your passport photograph affixed in the designated space. Your employer should advise the procedure, but in order to obtain the CERPAC, the prerequisites are:
       o Your company must be incorporated in Nigeria and have obtained expatriates quotas from the  Nigerian authorities
       o You must have obtained an STR (“Subject To Regularization”) visa from the Embassy of        Nigeria in your country of origin.
Once you enter Nigeria with the STR visa, your employer should immediately apply for issuance of your temporary resident permit (CERPAC).
 Full contact details and residence address in Nigeria – COMPULSORY
o Complete residence address in Lagos:
o Description of access (floors, elevators, possibility of parking a trailer truck close to entrance of your residence…)
o 2 telephone numbers (one must be a Nigerian mobile phone number)
 Detailed, dated and signed Valued inventory – COMPULSORY
 Original Packing-list in English – COMPULSORY 
 Certificate of transfer from the company
 Personal TIN (Tax Identification Number) from the FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Services). AGS can provide you with one free of charge.
 Letter of refund of container deposit / excess demurrage – COMPULSORY (sea freight). If your removal is coming in by sea freight, we will pay the demurrage charges to the shipping line and the container deposit (if any) on your behalf in the course of the clearing process. We will provide in due course a template of the letter for you to sign, requesting the shipping line to refund the container deposit and the excess demurrage charged, if any, to us directly.
 Letter of introduction from employer in Nigeria – RECOMMENDED. It is strongly recommended, especially for imports by SEA freight, that you provide a letter (original on letterhead) from your employer in Nigeria introducing you as a new staff member and stating:
        o A brief history of your employment abroad (if you have been employed by the same company)
       o The position you will be filling with your company in Nigeria
 Certificate of Fumigation if the cargo contains wooden crates

Shipper needs to be in Nigeria in order to get a work permit. He must enter Nigeria with a STR visa and the documents he obtained from the Embassy of Nigeria at the time of application. The employer submits the paperwork and passport to immigration – the duration of the process varies, depending on the relationship of the employer with the immigration authorities, it can take from one week to several weeks! The letter from your company in Nigeria should be provided prior to the arrival of your consignment in Nigeria. Your passport and resident permit will be required as we get confirmation of arrival of your shipment, or a few days before that.
For all non-diplomatic shipments, please note:
 The consignee must be physically present in Nigeria during the customs clearing process.
 The consignee must be coming to Nigeria for permanent employment purposes and be employed by a company legally incorporated in Nigeria.  The original Bill of lading must be endorsed by the consignee “deliver to …..” and signed.  

________________________________________________________________________


DETAILED PROCESS FOR SEA SHIPMENTS 

Step 1 - 2 to 3 working days 
The relevant documents (original passport and, for foreigners, original resident permit / CERPAC), are collected from client, ideally 2–3 days before the date of discharge of the container. At the same time, client endorses the BL to release the container to our clearing agent.

Step 2 - 1 day 
Documents are transmitted to our clearing agent

Step 3 - 2 to 3 working days
Application is lodged at the Customs Head Office at Harvey Road, Lagos, with these original documents. This can be done once the rotation number of the vessel is known, or once the container is actually discharged.

Step 4 - 3 to 4 working days
Customs Area Commander (CAC) gives approval of application and go-ahead to proceed with examination (2 working days if CAC is on seat)

Step 5 - 4 to 5 working days
Container is dropped at terminal for physical examination (on average about 4–5 working days after the CAC’s approval) – delay variable as examinations are quite often postponed and rescheduled, due to terminal congestion, bad weather or non-availability of customs. Containers under diplomatic status do not get opened, but customs will still proceed to a physical inspection to check the seal number on the container.

Step 6 - 2 to 4 working days 
Customs release is granted by the CAC based on the examination report (normally 2– 4 working days, depending on CAC’s availability). If the shipment is queried, it results in much longer delays to either object the query, or for customs to raise a debit note for customs duties and taxes applicable on relevant items. In some instances, the container has to be re-positioned for a second examination.

Step 7 - 2 to 3 working days 
Our agent obtains and pays the debit notes from the shipping line and from the terminal and obtains the TDO (terminal delivery order).

Step 8 - 1 day 
Truck is dispatched to collect the container (usually it takes 1 full day to retrieve the container from the terminal and bring it back to our yard).

Step 9 - 1 day
Delivery (Finally!)

IMPORTANT 
New items are strictly forbidden in Nigeria  - huge delays and fines to be expected

Do NOT ship to TINCAN Port - delays and extra charges / please only ship to APAPA port 

Extra charges are to be expected on all shipments to Nigeria

Timeframe for export shipments from Lagos

 Sea shipments  4 to 5 weeks
 Air shipments  1 to 2 weeks

Timeframe for export shipments from Abuja

 Sea shipments  4 to 6 weeks
 Air shipments  1 to 2 weeks


AGS NIGERIA 

 Established in 2004
 2,600m2 storage capacity
 10 fully owned vehicles
 60 staff members for service in English and French  

Our Services 

 Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves
 Packing and crating services
 Export and import customs clearance
 Short- and long-term storage
 Comprehensive relocation services


TW

Kenya - Import/Export Process

This is the latest in a series of posts dealing with import and export processes for African countries. All information courtesy of AGS Frasers.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME: 

 Sea shipments  8 to 12 working days*
 Air shipments  2 to 4 working days*

*providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Frasers Kenya 


DOCUMENTATION:

Kenyan Returning Citizen

 Original and valid passport used for the last 2 years + OBL/AWB
 PIN certificate (Personal Identification Number, also called Taxpayer Registration Certificate)
 Packing list, valued inventory  To be granted duty free import, the returning citizen must have been abroad for more than 2 years and must not have visited Kenya for more than 90 days during the last 2 years. The shipper must be in Kenya at the time of clearance.

Expatriate 

 Original valid passport + OBL/AWB
 First original 2 years entry permit (work permit)
 PIN certificate
 Packing list, valued inventory  The expatriate does not need to be in the country to submit his work permit application (1 to 2 months). The goods must be imported within 90 days from the approval of the work permit. The expat must be in Kenya to have the passport endorsed with the work permit.

Diplomat

 Original Pro1b exemption approval document
 Copy of original and valid passport + OBL/AWB
 Importer’s PIN certificate  Packing list  The diplomat must be in the country for the exemption certificate application (2 to 3 weeks) and when the shipment arrives.

DETAILED PROCESS FOR SEA SHIPMENTS: 

Step 1 - 1 to 2 days
We present the OBL and the client’s passport, locally collect invoices from the shipping line after the shipment’s arrival, pay invoices and collect the proofs of payment.

Step 2 - 3 to 7 days 
We present the OBL, passport and payment receipts and wait for the delivery order from customs (1-2 days). Meanwhile, the container is offloaded from the vessel and transferred by road to a Container Freight Station (CFS) outside the port, but within the environs of Mombasa. The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) nominates the CFS to which each vessel’s containers are transferred. We have made it a practice to nominate all our containers to one particular CFS known as AWANAD (please indicate ''Goods in transit to Awanad'' on the BL). The container is transferred within 2 to 5 days if there is no congestion at the port.

Step 3 - 2 days 
The CFS arrange the containers to be transferred to their yards. Each CFS has a customs station at which clearance takes place. The premises are safe and under 24 hour police and CCTV surveillance. All shipments will be inspected, except Diplomatic goods with an approved Pro1b document.

Step 4 - 2 days 
Container is sent to Nairobi by truck once inspection is completed and shipment is released from customs.


IMPORTANT 

 Mombasa is the busiest port in Eastern Africa, it is therefore quite overwhelmed and operations are slow.
 We strongly advise that sea shipments are sent to POE Mombasa.
 For shipments sent to TOE Nairobi an additional 2 to 3 weeks transit time are to be expected.
 Kenya has very strict regulation on the importation of vehicles. Please check with your office.
 Lift vans must be fumigated.


Time frame for export shipments from Nairobi: 

Sea shipments  6 to 7 days
Air shipments  4 to 5 days


AGS FRASERS KENYA

 Established in 1995
 1,200m2 storage capacity
 5 fully owned vehicles
 38 staff members for service in English, French and Spanish

Our Services
 Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves
 Packing and crating services
 Export and import customs clearance
 Short- and long-term storage
 Comprehensive relocation services/records management

TW

Ebola Update

As the Ebola epidemic continues to spread, business in the affected regions is becoming more severely affected, including some closings and restrictions on air travel. The below update from AGS Frasers provides some more details. 

SPOTLIGHT: International Responses

·       United Nations: “Current flight limitations are hampering the movement of international experts involved in the control efforts. These flight restrictions hinder the capacities of aid organizations like Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) to deploy their personnel in support of the crisis response and mitigation.”

·       IATA: “The risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low … Ebola is not spread by breathing air (and the airborne particles it contains) from an infected person. Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animals, all unlikely exposures for the average traveller.”

·       Médecins sans Frontières: “It is clear that the Ebola epidemic will not be contained without a massive deployment of medical and disaster relief specialists from states. The governments of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone are doing everything they can to try to fight this epidemic. They desperately need international support.”

Following AGS’ newsflash on Ebola in Guinea, we hereby provide an overview of other affected countries. Please note that due to the volatility of the situation, we advise contacting the AGS Frasers African Desk for last-minute updates.

Throughout August affected countries have experienced expatriates leaving – with related negative impacts felt by local economies – and foreign diplomats and business people abroad not returning.

All of AGS’ branches in Africa – including Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia – remain operational for our clients’ benefit, with those in Ebola regions implementing strict hygiene control measures. These include daily  counselling for staff and availability of cleaning kits, and travel restrictions to minimize risk.

Travel and Business

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have all declared States of Emergency following the Ebola outbreak.

In the wake of major airlines – including Emirates, Air France and British Airways – cancelling flights to Ebola-affected countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) both issued calls in August for this trend to stop.

By mid-August the only airlines still flying to Sierra Leone were Brussels Airlines and Royal Air Maroc – Kenya Airways suspended their Sierra Leone flights – and only three airlines still served Liberia.

Most recently, Air France confirmed that it was also suspending flights to Freetown, Liberia, effective August 28 (while still maintaining its flights to Guinea and Nigeria) following the French Government encouraging French citizens to leave Liberia and Sierra Leone. 

Lifestyle restrictions have also been felt within Ebola-affected countries. Banks in Sierra Leone close at 13:30, making afternoon trade difficult, and steep inflation has occurred in food prices. An outbreak of cholera in Sierra Leone also complicated matters, and some of its hospitals turned away patients out of fear of Ebola.

Overview:

·       Please note, due to a nationwide lock down resulting from the Ebola outbreak, AGS Frasers Sierra Leone will be closed from 19th to 21st September 2014. Service disruption may start on 18th September 2014. Unless the lock down is extended, business will be resumed on 22nd September 2014.

·       Sierra Leone implemented an evening curfew, with all establishments closed by 20:30, as well as the banning public gatherings. A curfew was also introduced in Liberia, effective August 19.

·       Gabon announced on August 14 that it would no longer be receiving ships which had previously stopped over in any Ebola-affected countries (including Nigeria).

·       Cameroon closed all its borders with countries touched by Ebola, with the Cameroon Government prohibiting both imports and exports of cargo and people, across land, sea and air. Senegal similarly closed its borders.

·       Late in August, Botswana closed its northern border to trucks from the Democratic Republic of Congo, after Ebola victims were also declared within the country – possibly a different strain to those in the West African outbreak.

Please be assured that AGS’ executives, branch managers and staff are treating this matter with the utmost attention, and are at your disposal. 

You can contact me directly or via Linkedin with any questions and I will get the answers from my colleagues in Africa.

TW

GABON Update

Timing is EVERYTHING!

Whether this is just coincidence or customs officials in Gabon just did not like what I wrote about import procedures, the nation's customs service has shut down due to a strike.

The strike went into effect on September 15 and, as of today, there is no indication that it will end soon.

I will post updates as I get them.

TW

Gabon - Libreville

This is the latest in a series of posts dealing with import and export processes for African countries. All information courtesy of AGS Frasers.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME:

 Sea shipments  7 to 10 working days*
 Air shipments  5 to 7 working days*
 Best AOE/POE  Libreville

*providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Frasers Gabon

DOCUMENTATION:

Main documents:
 Detailed and valued inventory list in French / 1 set of OBL or 1 set of Sea waybill / 1 set of BIETC (Electronic cargo tracking note)
 Copy of passport (main pages)
 Certificate of move (from Town Council) or Certificate of change of residence (from local native country Embassy or Consulate)
 End of mission letter from former employer
 In addition to the main documents, the following will be needed for the different groups:
Gabonese returning citizen:
 Letter from previous employer confirming end of contract/employment

Expatriate
 Letter of employment in Gabon

Diplomat
 Exemption certificate + letter from the Embassy in Gabon
 The diplomat does not need to be in Gabon to apply for the exemption certificate (3 to 10 days)


PROCESS:

Step 1 - 1 day Preparation of the D.U. (specific customs form for Gabonese customs clearance formalities) prior to submission of the whole import file to the customs office in Libreville.

Step 2 - 1 to 2 days Submission of the whole import file to customs office.

Step 3 - 1 to 2 days Release/legalisation of the OBL at shipping line’s office in Libreville. We need 1OBLs + CNCA.

Step 4 - 2 to 3 days Settlement of the port charges and terminal storage charges + final arrangements at terminal to pick up the container.

Step 5 - 1 day Offloading the container at our warehouse.

Step 6 - 1 day Delivery at residence.

IMPORTANT

 BIETC document is compulsory / please contact AGS Africa if needed
 RUSID tax is NOT included in our rates
 Almost all non-diplomatic import and export shipments are subject to customs inspection / please inform your clients accordingly as this may be a source of delays and extra charges (fines to be expected)

Timeframe for export shipments:

Sea shipments  8–15 working days
Air shipments  4–8 working days

AGS FRASERS GABON

§  Established in 1995

§  600 m storage capacity

§  3 fully owned trucks

§  30 staff members for service in English, French, Swahili and Spanish

Our Services

§  Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves

§  Packing and crating services

§  Export and import customs clearance

§  Short- and long-term storage

§  Comprehensive relocation services

TW

Gabon (Port Gentil)

Gabon (Port Gentil) Import Process For Personal Effects.

This is the latest in a series covering import/export requirements in Africa with detailed step by step description of the import process. 

All information courtesy of AGS Frasers.

(NOTE: Libreville has slightly different details and will be the subject of the next post)

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE / TIMEFRAME:

                          §   Sea shipments        à 7 to 10 working days*

                          §  Air shipments          à 8 to 15 working days* (including transportation from LBV to POG)

                          §   Best AOE   à Libreville / Best POE à Port Gentil

*providing all requested documents have been submitted to AGS Frasers Gabon

DOCUMENTATION:

Main documents:

                          §   Detailed and valued inventory list in French / 1 set of OBL or 1 set of Sea waybill / 1 set of BIETC (Electronic cargo tracking note)

                          §   Copy of passport (main pages)

                          §   Certificate of move (from Town Council) or Certificate of change of residence (from local native country Embassy or Consulate)

                          §   End of mission letter from former employer

                          §   In addition to the main documents, the following will be needed for the different groups:

Gabonese returning citizen:

                          §   Letter from previous employer confirming end of contract/employment

Expatriate

                          §   Letter of employment in Gabon

Diplomat

                          §   Exemption certificate + letter from the Embassy in Gabon

                          §   The diplomat does not need to be in Gabon to apply for the exemption certificate (3 to 10 days)

DETAILED PROCESS FOR SEA SHIPMENTS:

Step 1
1 day Preparation of the D.U. (specific customs form for Gabonese customs clearance formalities) prior to submission of the whole import file to the customs office in Libreville.
Step 2
1 to 2 days Submission of the whole import file to customs office.
Step 3
1 to 2 days Release/legalisation of the OBL at shipping line’s office in Libreville. We need 1OBLs + CNCA.
Step 4
2 to 3 days Settlement of the port charges and terminal storage charges + final arrangements at terminal to pick up the container.
Step 5
1 day Offloading the container at our warehouse.
Step 6
1 day Delivery at residence.

IMPORTANT

§  BIETC document is compulsory / please contact AGS Africa if needed

§  RUSID tax is NOT included in our rates

§  Almost all non-diplomatic import and export shipments are subject to customs inspection / please inform your clients accordingly as this may be a source of delays and extra charges (fines to be expected)

Timeframe for export shipments:

Sea shipments  à 8–15 working days

Air shipments    à 4–8 working days

AGS FRASERS GABON

 Established in 1995
 150m2 storage capacity
 5 staff members for service in English and French

Our Services

 Customised solutions for local, national, office and international moves 
 Packing and crating services 
 Export and import customs clearance
 Short- and long-term storage 

 Comprehensive relocation services

TW

16 fascinating facts about Africa

The facts below are taken from the Mic.com web site and have been compiled by Aubrey Hruby and Eliot Pence. The full article, with graphics, is available at 

http://mic.com/articles/97214/16-incredible-facts-will-change-the-way-you-think-about-africa

I have added a few comments in italics.

Here are 16 facts that prove why Africa is the continent everyone should be watching. 

1) In the 1970s, Africa's entire population was one-half of Europe's. Today, Africa's population is more than double the EU's. 

2) More transactions are done by mobile money in Kenya than in the U.S. Kenyans have done$12.5 billion worth of business in the first six months of 2014. 71% of Kenyans report having transferred money using smart phones. (Afrobarometer.org).

3) Over 100 incubators have been founded in the past 48 months in Africa. And you thought Silicon Valley was the future of technology. 

4) Rwanda ranks highest in the world for number of women parliamentarians at 64%. South Africa, Senegal and Mozambique are also well ahead of the world average of 22%

5) Africa has four wireless cities including Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Kigali in Rwanda. Wireless city does not mean completely free of land lines. In each case the city will provide free wi-fi service in certain areas and gradually expand. In Rwanda the annual internet access growth rate is 8900%, compared with 2450% in the rest of Africa and 444% worldwide growth. (Figures from AFKinsider.com)

6) In less than three generations, over 40% of the world's youth will be African.

7) Cell phones have changed everything (70% of Africans own one). An African kid with a cell phone has access to more immediate information than the president of United States did 15 years ago. The figures vary, as one would expect, across the continent. Algeria and Senegal report cell phone availability at over 90%, while Madagascar reports 44% availability. (Afrobarometer.org).

8) Nollywood, Nigeria's movie industry, is the second-largest movie industry in the world behind Bollywood, and puts out twice as many movies as Hollywood. Is this a positive or negative statistic? You be the judge.

9) Africa is now nearly as urbanized as China, and has as many cities of 1 million people or more — the same as Europe. By 2016 500 million Africans will live in urban areas and 65 African cities will have populations of 1 million or more. (populationconnecction.org)

10) Major Silicon Valley titans like Facebook and Google now battle it out in Africa, with both companies investing in projects to bring Internet access to isolated parts of the continent.

11) More Guinness is drunk in Nigeria than Ireland. I am not sure that the Ghanaian poster ad the reads "Drink at the table of men" would work so well in Ireland!

12) Africans and people of recent African descent are highly educated. Of the 300,000 educated Africans in diaspora, 30,000 of them have Ph.D.s.

13) Fifteen years ago, Tanzania's population was the size of California. In 2100, it will be 276 million, nearly the size of America's today.

14) In the next three years, the number of smartphone shipments to Africa will double. Some even predict that the majority of Africans will own a smartphone by 2017.

15) Champagne consumption is growing faster in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. It seems that Nigerians know how to party! But on the serious side, it shows how their buying power is increasing.

16) Also, Africans like us. Three of the top 10 countries with positive views of the United States are African!

All of which points to Africa as an area of huge potential and a driver of the world economy in the coming decades.

TW

This blog represents the opinions of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions, or recommendations of Mobilitas or AGS Worldwide Movers. All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The blog is the property of the author and should not be re-posted without express, written consent.