Benin Regulatory Narrative
Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and is also a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
The UEMOA’s main objective is the construction, in West Africa, of a harmonized and integrated economic area, within which is ensured a total freedom of movement of persons, capital, goods, services and factors. production, as well as the effective enjoyment of the right of exercise and establishment for the liberal professions, residence for citizens throughout the Community.
The Republic of Benin has considerably implemented its capacity of Legislation, Regulations and International Relations. Each ministry oversees and prepare its different legislative text projects and regulations for the departments to submit to the parliament for adoption.
The Secretary General of the Government is the permanent organ responsible for coordinating the administrative activity of the Council of Ministers. In this capacity, he/she is responsible to: coordinate the administrative activity and ensure the secretariat of the meetings of the Council of Ministers; submit to the Council of Ministers the necessary documents for decision-making; ensure the preparation of draft texts resulting from the deliberations of the Council of Ministers; monitor the implementation of decisions taken by the Council of Ministers; prepare all draft circulars and instructions from the Head of Government; plan and organize government seminars to build the capacity of government members; ensure the proper preparation of the files that each member of the government is entitled to present before the National Assembly; ensure the preparation and regular maintenance of the upstream Inter-ministerial Committee of the Council of Ministers; participate in the preparation of speeches by the Head of State of the Nation; ensure the regular adoption, publication and dissemination of international laws, ordinances and commitments.
The ministry of Finance and Economy oversees the Customs law regulations. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has the mandate of designing, re-elaboration, implementation, monitoring and reassessment of government policy matters in Economic, Finance and Budget.
In Benin, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) is strongly represented. It has an international public institution headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. It is the issuing institute common to the member states of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU). When it was founded on May 12, 1962, it united the Republics of Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Senegal and the Togolese Republic.
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP), has in charge the supervision, control and regulation of its sectors. It defines and implements the agriculture, Livestock and Fishery policies and the structure of the functioning.
The Direction Nationale d’Alimentation Scolaire (School feeding National Direction), directly attached to the Ministry of the Primary National Education, design and regulate guides and guidelines for school feeding in the country. That Direction works directly with WFP in the large programme of PNASI (Programme National d’ Alimentation Scolaire intregrée).
The Minister Delegate for the Budget shall, as delegated by the Minister of Economy and Finance, manage the functions relating to the preparation and execution, taxation and customs.
The National Direction of Customs and the National Office of Control of Quality are together in charge of controlling the quality of all the food entering the country by issuing the Economical Police and the Phytosanitary certificate applied.
For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List.
