Long-term technical assistance to the UEMOA Commission for the implementation of the Transport Facilitation Project (RIP 10th EDF)

Project details
Country: 
Regional
Donor organisation: 
Associated enterprises: 
Department: 
Transport & Mobility
Project volume: 
3,499,500 €
Currency: 
Value of services: 
349,950 €
Start of project: 
November, 2017
End of project: 
November, 2020
Project description: 

Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo

The two regional organisations, the ECOWAS and the UEMOA Commissions, are implementing a strategy to accelerate the process of long-term consultation and convergence through a variable geometry and different rhythms approach between the two regional organisations.

The Treaty establishing the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)) inspires the transport policy of the UEMOA Commission. The Treaty, in its Additional Protocol No. II (Article 7) requires the definition of a scheme for the improvement of transport infrastructure and systems linking the Member States and the measures necessary for its implementation.

The sectoral challenges relating to the planning and monitoring of road infrastructure, the reduction of axle overload, the reduction of transport obstacles on corridors would be better addressed within a regional and federating framework of valets that would converge within a Regional Transport Observatory. This observatory would be an instrument at the service of administrations, technicians and decision-makers for monitoring the implementation of regional transport policies and strategies. It would strengthen, through the data it will be called upon to manage, the study and planning of Regional Authorising Officers (ROs) and Ministries in charge of infrastructure and transport in UEMOA and ECOWAS member countries and will help to inform the choices of these public actors in terms of transport policy. One of the modern approaches to improving border operations is the construction and operation of juxtaposed control stations. As a trade and transport facilitation tool, they promote a coordinated and integrated approach to border controls to facilitate trade, the movement of people and improve security. To this end, the UEMOA Commission, with the support of technical and financial partners, in particular the European Union has begun to implement a programme to build control stations, including Malanville on the border between Benin and Niger. The work of this checkpoint has been completed and provisions are being implemented for its operationalisation.

Service description: 

Support for the commissioning and operationalisation of the juxtaposed control station (JCS) in Malanville

  • Support from the UEMOA Commission and States for the development of JCS implementation materials and training of actors: procedures manual, various internal regulations, etc;
  • Support for the implementation of the institutional mechanism and governance bodies of the JCSs and the corridor;
  • Support for the deployment of staff on the JCSs: staff of the States and the UEMOA Commission;
  • Support for the interconnection of customs IT systems, mechanisms/modalities for electronic cargo tracking and customs cooperation for the implementation of the single declaration and the single guarantee for transit operations;
  • Support / Technical advice to the UEMOA Commission, the States concerned (Benin, Niger) and the permanent representative of the UEMOA Commission on the site;
  • Ongoing support for awareness and training of on-site services and JCS users;
  • Support for the preparation of the studies selected below with the collaboration of non-core experts or the pool of experts:
  1. study on how to manage JCSs and determine operating costs,
  2. socio-economic impact study of the Malanville JCS and definition of accompanying measures,
  3. study on the interconnection of computer systems, electronic cargo tracking,
  4. support for the implementation of the recommendations of the Malanville JCS impact study
  • Support for the organization of study tours and international seminars to enable staff from the two States and the UEMOA to learn from foreign experiences in the organization and operation of JCSs;
  • Support for the implementation of visibility and communication actions.

Support for the consolidation and installation of the OPA within the UEMOA Commission and the implementation of activities for the establishment and operationalization of the joint UEMOA and ECOWAS Regional Transport Observatory (ORT).

  • Support for the resumption of OPA data collection activities on EU corridors, with a gradual extension to all UEMOA corridors at the end of the project;
  • Support for the development and implementation, with the focal points, of a system for collecting similar data in the ports (port crossings) of the region and at national terminals and border posts;
  • Support for the integration of road safety indicators into the OPA;
  • Support for the implementation of systems to monitor the reduction of this administrative burden along the corridors, resulting from the dissemination of this data;
  • Support for data processing and analysis at the UEMOA Commission level;
  • Support for the publication and reporting of results in States;
  • Support for the implementation of technical studies that have an impact on reducing transport costs:
  1. Definition of transport performance monitoring indicators,
  2. Updating the OPA software,
  3. Electronic tracking of vehicles along corridors,
  4. Transport costs,
  5. Ocean freight rates and related charges on imports and exports
  6. Port passage procedures
  • Support for the modernization of the OPA's data collection and processing system.

Support for the establishment of the Regional Transport Observatory

  • Carrying out a study for the creation of the Transport Observatory for Trade Facilitation;
  • Support for the definition and formulation of an institutional framework for the Regional Transport Observatory (ORT);
  • Elaboration of the regulatory documents necessary for the implementation of the ORT;
  • Organisation of meetings of the ORT Joint Coordinating Committee, or round tables;
  • Organization of joint UEMOA-ECOWAS-Eastern European study tours.

Support for capacity building in the UEMOA Commission and Member States to better manage regional transport.

  • Support for the implementation of the Capacity Building Plan for the Technical Services of UEMOA and the Member States responsible for regional transport;
  • Technical support for the UEMOA and ECOWAS Commissions convergence under the supervision of the ROs for the implementation of the project through the implementation of a number of activities in the transport facilitation sector involving a synergy between the two joint ROs;
  • Establishment of an information and monitoring and evaluation system for the implementation of the 10th EDF RIP project - transport facilitation;
  • Support to the secretariat of the Steering Committee;
  • Support for the technical monitoring of contracts and services under the Financing Agreement;
  • Technical support to the UEMOA Commission for the establishment of the future Regional Transport Observatory (ORT);
  • Support for the execution of tasks requiring technical skills in engineering, transport economics, etc;
  • The execution of administrative, preparatory and ancillary tasks relating to the planning and monitoring of certain aspects of the project and the communication of the corresponding reports, financial management;
  • Support for the preparation of projects financed by the EU under the 11th EDF RIP.
Objectives: 

The objective of technical assistance is to support the UEMOA Commission and States in the implementation of the transport facilitation project while strengthening their capacities.

From a specific point of view, technical assistance should support the UEMOA in:

  • the operationalisation of the Malanville checkpoints;
  • the resumption of the activities of the Observatory of Abnormal Practices (OPA - Observatoire des Pratiques Anormales);
  • the establishment and operationalisation of the Regional Transport Observatory (ORT - Observatoire Régionale des Transports);
  • the carrying out of specific studies; and
  • the capacity building of the UEMOA Commission and member states.
Currency: