Disasters, Conflicts, and Migration

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters: EMDAT information for Comoros

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The DGSC (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile), under the authority of the Ministry of Interior is the department in charge of the National civil Security and Civil Protection. It is a national entity in charge of preparation, coordination, prevention and response of emergency crisis in Comoros. It has been officially established through a president official decree and leaders are appointed though the same decree. The operational section of the DGSC is the Centre des Operations de Secours et de la Protection Civile (COSEP). COSEP is the main organ of early warning and coordination of operations during a disaster response.

In case of emergencies COSEP coordinates the response: Civil Protection, UN, the Red Cross, or Comoros Red Crescent, and NGOs meets in the DGSC base.

The Comorian Government, with the collaboration and funding from UNDP have established a risk analysis and an operational emergency response plan for cyclones and volcanic eruptions. The Observatoire du Volcan Karthala (OVK) volcanic observatory has been established to monitor the seismic and volcanic activity.

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

Humanitarian Community

The international humanitarian community has little presence on the Comoros archipelago. The French Red Cross, through the PIROI (Regional Intervention Platform for the Indian Ocean), set up, from the year 2000, a regional structure of intervention in case of disaster including pre-stored relief and emergency stocks such as: buckets, jerry cans, mosquito nets, lanterns, stoves, treatment units Water, family tents, rescue station, warehouse tent (66sqm), and sleeping mats.

The Comoros Red Crescent trains and coordinates volunteers who can intervene when needed. Several UN agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank are present in Moroni, the regional office of WFP in Johannesburg has set up a rapid response plan for natural disasters.

Citizens and the private sector in the country are actively participating and donating, after the floods in May 2012 and hurricane Kenneth in 2019.

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

Overview

There is no department responsible for regulating consumer products in the Comoros. All sectors of activity are attached to a ministry and subject to the regulation and control of a specific state agency under their supervision and able to achieve quality control tests.

There are no private or independent laboratories even if some other public entities are able to provide some services such as the University of Comoros or El Maarouf General Hospital in Moroni.

Various regulatory departments and quality control agencies

Food

The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment (INRAPE) is in charge of food quality control, but only conducts physical inspections. Therefore, the submission of the phytosanitary certificate issued by the supplier in the country of origin is mandatory to import food into Comoros.

Water

The Ma-mwe (national water and electricity supplier) has its own water analysis laboratory. The University of Comoros can also perform some tests on request.

Medicines

The state agency OCOPHARMA (Comorian Office of Pharmaceutical Products) is a procurement platform that allows pharmacies in Comoros to buy quality drugs at wholesale prices. They are able to perform some tests and quality checks on drugs.

Biomedical

The El Marouf Hospital in Moroni has a laboratory service for biomedical analyses.

Hydrocarbons

The Comorian Hydrocarbons Corporation (CHS) is the state-owned company that imports fuel into the Comoros and conducts quality tests before resale.

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links:

4.1 Comoros Government Contact List

4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Companies Contact List

Duties and Tax Exemption

The Comorian customs authorities report to the Ministry of Finance and Budget. They are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the laws and regulations governing the movement of goods, persons, means of transport and capital entering and leaving the national territory.

Customs revenue represents 41.8% of the national budget revenue of the Union of the Comoros.

The tariff code applied to the Comoros refers to the Single Article of Law No. 90-022 adopting the Harmonized System as the Customs Tariff for Designation and Codification of Goods.

In line with the international customs model, the Comorian Government deposited with the General Secretariat of the World Customs Organization (WCO) on 7 January 2013 its instrument of accession to the 1988 International Harmonized System Convention. designation and codification of goods. Thus, the Comoros became the 146th Contracting Party to the HS Convention. This leads to a clear improvement in the national tariff that will migrate from HS 2012 to HS 2017.

For information on Comoros Customs contact information, please see the following link: 

4.1 Comoros Government Contact List

Emergency Response

When an emergency is officially declared by the Government, there is a simplified process to streamline the duty- and tax-free importation of goods through the DES (Déclaration d’Enlèvement Spéciale / Special Withdrawal Declaration).

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

Following cases can benefit from customs duties and taxes exemption:

• The diplomatic corps in accordance with the Vienna Convention
• The holders of Accreditation in accordance with the Investment Code (the Accreditation is issued by the National Agency for the Promotion of Investment)
• The signatories of a contract / establishment agreement with the Comorian Government

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

1. The request for exemption for the Diplomatic Corps is submitted to the Ministry of Finance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it has been referred to him by the representative of the applicant.
2. For the holders of Accreditation and the signatories of a contract or agreement of establishment with the Government, the request for exemption can be submitted directly to the Customs Administration by an authorized customs agent (with a copy of the authorization must be attached to the file).

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

Since there has been no transit of humanitarian goods to a third country in the Comoros to date, no specific regime has been provided for this purpose.

Comoros Port Assessment

Overview

The National Agency for Maritime Affairs (ANAM) is the state body responsible for regulating maritime issues directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications. It has the mission of public service and the authority to develop and operate the international maritime registry of the Union of Comoros. ANAM also aims to improve, promote and make the Comoros national maritime and port policy more competitive internationally, in compliance with the merchant shipping law of the Union of Comoros and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Port Authority of the Comoros (APC) is the authority responsible for designing the legal framework (establishment of concessions) and regulating port activities (wharf access, security, etc.) in the country. In Moroni, the Bolloré Logistics Group won a tender for the concession of the handling of the port in 2012 and the Mutsamudu port concession in Anjouan is owned by Spanfreight, a subsidiary of UAFL.

Goods transport

The government estimates that 90% of the cargo to and within the Comoros is transported by sea. The Union of Comoros has two containerized ports located in Moroni (Grande Comore Island) and Mutsamudu (Anjouan Island) and a smaller one in Fomboni (Moheli Island) which can only receive bulk general cargo. At present, the port of Fomboni has no commercial relevance.

The main port of Comoros is located on the island of Anjouan, near Mutsamudu. It is a well-protected, deep-water port that can accommodate large ships.

The port of Moroni is less competitive due to the shallow waters of the port that prevent larger ships from docking. Vessels over 80 meters long remain at anchor and tranship the cargo on barges towed to the wharf and unloaded using a harbour crane.

The port of Moheli has a small wharf that can accommodate boats up to 45 meters, but barge transhipment is not available for longer vessels.

Key airport information may also be found at: World Aero Data information on Comoros Airports

Air transport in the Comoros is governed by the new Law 17-016 / AU of 02 December 2017 on the Civil Aviation Code. In accordance with this Law, the Authority in charge of regulating and supervising air transport in Comoros is the National Agency for Civil Aviation and Meteorology (ANACM). It has been autonomous since March 2008 in order to effectively assume its role of overseeing the safety and security of air transport.

The 3 Comorian airports are managed by Aéroports des Comores (ADC), a company born in September 2018 and which is composed of the airport of Bandar es Salam in Mohéli, the airport of Ouani in Anjouan, and the Moroni International Airport Prince Said Ibrahim (AIMPSI). The ground handling in the Comoros airports is provided by the company Com'Air Assistance.

The provision of air navigation service has been provided since 2004 by the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

The main international airlines operating flights to the Comoros are Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, which operate daily passenger flights. Turkish Airlines, Air Madagascar, Air Tanzania, Air Austral and Ewa Air each make three rotations a week from Istanbul, Antananarivo, Dar Es Salaam, Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and Mayotte. Madagasikara Airways operates two flights a week from the city of Mahajanga.

Two Comorian companies AB Aviation and Inter Islands Air offer a regular service of air transport of passengers between the islands of the Union of the Comoros with two Embraer 120-type aircraft (30-seater planes) for AB Aviation and 2 SAAB 340 and Cessna 208 aircraft for Inter Islands Air. These companies make daily flights between the islands of the Union of Comoros and three times a week on Dar Es Salaam.

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List.

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

Any person or organization wishing to register an aircraft in the Union of Comoros must file with the Civil Aviation Authority:

• Registration request letter signed by the owner or the person authorized to do so
• Application form (ANACM AIR FORM R7-2) accompanied by all the documents requested on this form.
• Request for classification of the aircraft.

The ANACM acknowledges receipt of the application file and reviews the eligibility of the application, notifies the design status and requests the design organization to access the technical documentation of the aircraft to be registered. When the application is considered admissible, a registration is reserved. On this occasion the owner of the aircraft is informed for preparation of the physical inspection of the aircraft.

NB: If the aircraft is subject to a legal registration (rental, mortgage, etc) the applicant is required to provide other documents appearing in other procedures (Registration procedure right on aircraft).

The condition for registering an aircraft in the Comoros Union is that it must not be older than 25 years and in compliance with the Comoros Aeronautical Regulations (CAR 07) relating to the registration of aircraft.

When applying for a new type of device on the register for which a type rating is required and the ANACM does not have personnel with these qualifications, the owner or operator must agree to pay the costs associated with the training / type rating for an operations inspector and an airworthiness inspector at a minimum.

Please see the relevant documents below (in French):

1. ANACM AIR Form R7-2 (Registration Application Form)
2. ANACM Form 635 (Aircraft Inspection Sheet)
3. ANACM FORM 545 (Classification Request Form)
4. RAC 07 (Aircraft Registration Regulations)

The Comoros road network suffers from a serious lack of investment since the state relies solely on foreign financing for its maintenance, expansion or rehabilitation.

In 2019, the road network of the archipelago is distributed as follows: 58.3% in Grande Comoros with 495 km (289 km paved), 33.2% in Anjouan with 256 km (180 km t paved), and 11.5 % in Mohéli 98 km (84 km paved)

According to the latest government study, 80% of the road network is in poor condition and will require rehabilitation works.

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

Distance Matrix

Grande Comore

Anjouan

Mohéli

Road Security

The roads of the country are particularly dangerous due to a total absence of traffic signs and a non-existent road regulations but also due to an aging fleet of imported vehicles. All added to roads in bad condition make it the major risk for humanitarian workers in the Comoros.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

There are no regulations and no control from any government entity.

As the other logistics sectors, warehousing service is underdeveloped and storage facilities are quite difficult to find across the country, specially from the private sector. The public facilities such as the ports are all equipped with storage facilities and could be an option during an emergency, but the best alternative remain the civil protection direction. They own warehouses on each islands and got some mobile storage units (MSUs) they can make available in case of emergency.

For more information on storage company contact details, please see the following link: 4.6 Storage and Milling Companies Contact List.

Commercial Storage

Generally, private companies use to build their own warehouse according to their needs. During this assessment, it was quite challenging to find warehouses to rent as there are only a few.

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations

The only humanitarian organization that has storage facilities is the Comorian Red Crescent (CRCo).

The level of training of their storekeepers is rather good since they benefit from a support from the French Red Cross (FRC) as well as from the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC).

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Public Sector Storage

The main government entity owning warehouses is the General Directorate of Civil Security (DGSC).

In recent decades, WFP has built and equipped warehouses that were transferred to them but it is likely that they have not been used during few years and have deteriorated.

During Cyclone Kenneth in 2019, these warehouses were made available to WFP and the Moroni warehouse was rehabilitated. Two MSU's (mobile storage units) of 240 m² as well as lighting towers were donated to COSEP and their staff trained to erect them.

Finally, UNDP has released 2 million euros to build new storage facilities for the government in the 3 islands. The Regional Civil Security Departments should be given these warehouses by 2020.

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified

[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat

[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Cold Chain

Controlled temperature storage is poorly developed, only two small cold chain used to store vaccines could be identified in Moroni. In case of emergency, refrigerated container storage should be considered.

[1] Cold Room Positive, Cold Room Negative, Refrigerator, Freezer,

[2] Compression, Absorption, Solar, Other, unspecified

Fuel Overview

Hydrocarbons are managed by the Société Comorienne des Hydrocarbures (SCH), a state-owned company established by Law No. 80-27 of January 1980. The SCH is under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and the Budget. Its purpose is to import, store and distribute petroleum products in the Comoros. It is one of the few government corporations that makes a subsequent contribution to the tax budget (including the single tax) and service revenues. 

The company imports the various hydrocarbon products already processed and delivers them to two storage sites located in Moroni and Mutsamudu. Storage capacity is around 2 months of consumption and deliveries are made every 45 days.  The fuel is then sold to private companies, usually there are as many stations as owners.

The number of stations on the archipelago is:

- 21 in Grande Comore

- 22 in Anjouan

- 04 in Mohéli

During the last decade, there had been some shortages, but they are quite rare and usually do not last more than two weeks.

For more information on government and fuel provider contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.7 Fuel Providers Contact List.

Information may also be found at: http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ which is updated monthly. 

Fuel Pricing

Fuel tariffs are set by the government. Despite the rise in import costs, the price has remained fixed since 2016.

Seasonal Variations 

Comoros has never experienced seasonal variations.

Fuel Transportation

The refuelling is done approximately every 45 days. The oil tanker that supplies the Comoros discharge 60% in Moroni and 40% in Mutsamudu. Mohéli is then supplied from one of the two main depots with a 300,000 MT tanker belonging to the government. When this boat is out of order or maintenance, the Comorian Hydrocarbon Company has to charter a boat in a neighbouring country that can create delivery delays.

Fuel outflows from depots can be made free of charge by SCH trucks, but with limited numbers, most of the resellers have their own fleet to refuel their service stations.

The transport of Jet A1 from the main depots to the airport depots is done with SCH trucks dedicated to this specific supply.

Storage capacities

Standards, Quality and Testing

The SCH has its own quality testing laboratory. The different hydrocarbons are tested with each new delivery. The standards applied for storage is transportation standards are ASTM (American Society for International Technical Materials), an official certificate is established at each output of hydrocarbon deposits.

The oil stations selling retail fuel are very rarely controlled and there have been allegations of cutting fuel with water to increase their profits.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

Like other logistics services in Comoros, the road transport sector is underdeveloped. Except for a few companies that have fleets ranging from 3 to 9 vehicles, in general trucks belong to individuals who are both owners and drivers. Prices are negotiated according to distance and number of rotations. Most of these trucks do not exceed 10 MT.

For practical and administrative reasons, the humanitarian organizations in Comoros use to work with  freight forwarders to find, contract, and make trucks available according to the requested criteria.

Most of the trucks available are aging and lack maintenance, moreover no technical control is necessary to register vehicles in the Comoros. It is important to get around and check the condition of trucks when contracting a vehicle for the first time.

For more information on transport company contact details, please see the following link: 4.8 Transporter Contact List.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.

Although it is very difficult to obtain official figures, unemployment remains one of the major problems in Comoros, especially for youth. The minimum wage of about 50,000 KMF per month but few people agree to work for that price. This is often due to the phenomenon of the diaspora living in France who sends money regularly to their family remained in the country.

Informal work is an important part of the country's economy, particularly in the construction and public works sector. Daily workers are available in large quantities for all types of work, from simple labour to skilled workers.

Hury (formerly Comores Télécoms), in which the government is still the majority shareholder, and Telma (Telecom Madagascar) share the telecommunications market in the Comoros. Telma has a slightly wider network coverage and offers a better quality of internet connection, while Hury is significantly cheaper and more widespread in terms of subscription.

Buying SIM cards can be done in the official shops of both companies after showing an ID card or a passport, while many informal retailers sell credit refills.

The state institution that regulates and regulates telecoms is the ANRTIC (National Authority for Regulation of Information Technologies and Communications), under the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications. One of its main functions is the protection of consumers and the arbitration of possible disputes between companies.

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link: 4.10 Additional Services Contact List. 

Telecommunications Regulations

At the moment, the importation of non-commercial telecommunication equipment does not require any special authorization or tax. The frequency delivery is done with the ANRTIC.

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

The United Nations has a VHF telecommunication system in place under the responsibility of UNDSS. This system covers a large part of the island of Grande Comore and can reach Mohéli and Anjouan thanks to a system of repeaters.

Despite the availability of this communication network, no application has been officially adopted as a common United Nations security tool in Comoros.  As an example, there is no vehicle tracking system.

There is currently no SOC / UNDSS radio room in the Comoros. A radio base is installed at the UNDSS office in Moroni and can be used when needed.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Comoros has recently been connected to the Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy) cable, which guarantees increased security for high-speed Internet and communications in the region up to 4 terabytes of bandwidth. The connection and redistribution of bandwidth is managed and redistributed to ISPs by a government company called Comoros Cable.

The internet connection is therefore of good quality, and the two operators Telma and Hury offer individual packages or companies that can be customized on demand.

Fibre optic or ADSL connection is only possible in provincial capitals. Secondary cities must be content with 4G or 3G depending on the location.

The use of VSAT is not common in the Comoros, they are mostly used by UN agencies or by some embassies for security reasons and to communicate with their headquarters with secure connections. There is no company offering this service in Comoros, the VSAT must be ordered and contracted from a foreign country or directly on their website.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Mobile services are generally good in Comoros. The arrival of competition with Telma has boosted the market and new services such as mobile banking and money transfer service have developed. Projects allow the direct payment to sellers of certain brands and the payment of certain bills such as water, electricity, etc ... should be available shortly.

Each of the two operators has its own pylons, after hurricane Kenneth, the mobile networks were restored and operational within 24 hours in the most affected areas and most of the services had not bothered at all.

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.

The country has very weak productive capacities marked by a non-existent industrial sector and a very inefficient agricultural sector. In fact, the local market is very little diversified and the Comorians are dependent on imports on almost all the products consumed.

According to the World Bank, In 2017, Comoros exported $74 million and imported $295 million, resulting in a negative trade balance of USD 221 million.

The few companies that control the import sector are not specialized in a particular field, they import food as well as equipment or general goods. The fact that the ports cannot accommodate large vessels and the virtual absence of private logistics service makes it very difficult to intensify the supply if the demand increases. All these factors combine to make food and commodity prices expensive compared to prices in neighbouring countries, and the Comorians to be food insecure and vulnerable.

To reduce the risk of inflation and famine, the state set up its own company in 1982, with the National Office for the Importation and Marketing of Rice (ONICOR) having a monopoly on the import and marketing of “ordinary” rice. Its mission is to control the stock to avoid shortages and order good quality rice that can be marketed at a price set by the state and bearable to consumers. Once imported, ONICOR rice is on the market in most shops at a fixed rate of KMF 400 / kg.

Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a general overview of country data related to the service and supply sectors, please consult the following sources:

The Observatory of Economic Complexity – MIT (OEC): https://oec.world/en/profile/country/com/.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.