Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:  http://www.emdat.be/country-profile

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

The impact on road accessibility during the rainy is minor on the two primary roads since they are paved. In the North (excepted Sangha department), the passage for vehicles becomes severely limited during the peak of the rainy season, and in principle only four wheels traction vehicles or trucks can pass.  During the dry seasons (Dec-June) the water level is too low for barges to navigate in Ubangi and Sangha rivers. Provision of commodities especially in the Likouala region becomes very difficult during the dry season.

The main UN agencies and NGOs preposition stock at departmental level each year in order to avoid an Interruption of the supply chain in case of access problems.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The main institution responsible for intervention during emergencies is the ministry for Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and Solidarity through their Directorate-General for Humanitarian Action. Concerning epidemics, the Ministry of Health has the overall government responsibility to respond. The government has, to a certain extent, financially contributed to the past emergency appeals, coordinated by UN agencies. As part of its contribution the government also provided staff and vehicles. Military assets have not been used in emergencies and there are currently no agreements to use military and/or civil defence in relief operations.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Republic of the Congo Government Contact List.

Humanitarian Community 

The operational response during emergencies, such as the recent Mpila emergency, has been coordinated by UNDP, with other UN agencies playing a big role. During epidemics, the UN System has been led by WHO and FAO. UNICEF, UNWFP and UNHCR coordinate the emergency actions every time by supplying food assistance to mother and children (UNICEF) and displaced population (WFP). UNHCR is the lead agency for displaced population.

The UN System has currently launched a US$ 21 million humanitarian appeal in coordination with the Ministry for Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and Solidarity for the assistance of 81,000 displaced people in the Pool region. WFP is currently assisting the displaced people of the pool region through an EMOP. UNHCR is currently drafting a contingency plan to receive displaced people from DRC in prevision of the deterioration of the political and social situation in the country. 

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Republic of the Congo Humanitarian Agency Contact List.

The main regulatory departments in the Republic of Congo are:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery who oversees the quality control of imported food items and regulates and promotes, agricultural research, price supports and agricultural subsidies, plant diseases and invasive species and matters related to the environment and regulates the fishing activities in the Country.

The Ministry of Health who endorse customs declaration when importing medical supplies deals with health care, including awareness campaigns, immunization campaigns, preventive medicine, and public health.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees the authorisations of tax exemption for all items imported by humanitarian organizations.

The Ministry of Finance and budget through the Direction General “Impots et Domine” is in charge of the collection of taxes and the control of financial actions of the public actors.

The Ministry of Plan in in charge of NGO supervision and coordination. It is the Ministry of reference for the coordination and implementation of the DDO’s.

The Ministry of Forestry controls and evaluates the application of the rules in terms of forestry resources, hydrographic resources and animal resources.

The Ministry of Hydrocarbures orients and control the Government trust enterprises Control the private companies and organisations related to the oil sector and through the control authority AGENCE DE REGULATION DE L'AVAL PETROLIER (ARAP) assures competitiveness, transparency and maximum productivity in the oil sector.

The quality control for oil products and derivates is performed by the refinery CORAF situated in Pointe Noire.

The Congolese Act of November 25, 2009 created a new telecommunications and postal regulatory authority in The Republic of the Congo, called:” L’Agence de régulation des postes et des communications électroniques” (ARPCE) that is the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Agency. The ARPCE is a Public Administrative Authority that benefits of legal personality, and budgetary authority since it is financed by a tax on companies operating in the regulated sectors. It has the power to issue instructions and create administrative rules and regulations, the power to impose sanctions, and the power to control postal and telecommunications networks. 

The Republic of the Congo is member of the Economic Community of Central African States which promotes the regional economic cooperation and integration among the Countries sharing a common currency, the franc CFA. -The CEMAC “Code Communautaire de la Route” fixes the maximum permitted load regardless of number of axes at 50 MT.

The Republic of Congo is also a member of the WCO and a signatory of the revised Kyoto Convention and the Tampere Convention, all of which aims to facilitate the procedures for importation and communications in humanitarian emergencies.

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Republic of the Congo Government Contact List and 4.3 Republic of the Congo Laboratory and Quality Testing Companies Contact List.

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link below: 4.1 Republic of the Congo Government Contact List

Emergency Response

There is no difference in procedure between emergencies and non- emergency conditions according with the duties and tax exemption.

A digital document called “Code Additionel” is provided by the General Direction of Customs. This document comparable to an open import/export licence allows the start of the operation of custom clearance in duty free regime even if the franchise letter from the Ministry of Foreign affairs has not yet been received. This special procedure permits to save time consequently giving more efficacy to the response.

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

The Republic of The Congo is member of the WCO and a signatory of the revised Kyoto Convention and the Tampere Convention, all of which aims to facilitate the procedures for importation and communications in humanitarian emergencies. Duties and taxes exemption applies in principle to all humanitarian organizations, UN Agencies and INGOs, that have a MoU with the Government, and for all types of merchandise imported by these organisations. The recommended procedure for customs clearance in general terms as follows:

Once all merchandise and duty-free documents are available they should be handed to a forwarding agent who will complete the application and hand it over to the customs authorities. The declaration is a legal document and wrong information might lead to penalties. The declaration will be registered with the customs authorities and classified either for a normal procedure or an urgent process depending on the nature of the cargo.

The first step for all imports of humanitarian cargo will start with a request for tax exemption which should be directed to the Ministry of Foreign affairs contact: DIRECTION DES PRIVILEGES DIPLOMATIQUES, Attn; Mme Liliane ITOKO cell. 055250569 /069382651.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

In the past, the consignees/ importers and their transitaires were applying for an importation request or authorization directly from the Commerce department to allow them to get the ECTN (Besc) at the port of loading. Now, this process becomes electronic via the GUOT "Guichet Unique des Opérations Transfrontaliéres)" system. The consignee/importer or his freight forwarder once registered in GUOT system can validate all commercial operation (importation) to obtain the T.I number. The T.I number is compulsory for the validation of the BESC (ECTN). The implementation of GUOT process has taken effect in November 2014. This process has seen the introduction of the T.I number to affect the validation of the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) for all cargo destined to Republic of the Congo (the average time to obtain the T.I number is now 24-48 hours). 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

There are several transit regimes in the Republic of the Congo.

Customs declaration for goods paying duties and taxes. Customs declaration for goods partially or totally exempted of paying duties and taxes. Customs declaration to transfer goods from port, airport, international borders and bonded yard or warehouse. Transit declaration to transfer goods from a border (port/airport) to another country (I.e.: Pointe Noire port – Brazzaville dry port across the Congo river to Kinshasa’ DRC).

For merchandise transhipped shipside to shipside, without landing on the quay, platform or warehouse the following charges apply:

1. 20’ containers:   €14,53/unit
2. 40’ containers:   € 21,53/unit (only discharge charges are collected)

The collection of charges is carried out by the general direction of the PAPN in respect of freights, by the post office (PTT) for postal colis and for passengers by the shipping lines.

Charges for non-containerised cargo are the same as for imported cargo as per the merchandise categories.

Empty containers are charged € 1,17 (XAF 770) per tare weight; Rolling stock is charged € 5,31 (XAF 3,480) per mt. Minimum charge for all transhipment cargo is € 7,62 (XAF 5,000)