Congolese Customs adopt new Electronic Cargo Tracking System for transit goods

After conclusion of a pilot phase launched on 30 October 2019, the new Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) dubbed "Ekengue" has been officially adopted by Customs in the Republic of Congo. The objective of Ekengue (which means “vigilance” in the Lingala language), is to ensure that goods moving in transit along Congolese road corridors will reach other countries in Central Africa without being diverted to unauthorised places in Congo, so evading the payment of customs duties and other import taxes.

The system, which is aimed at removing the need of Customs escorts along the Congolese transit corridors, is based on a GPS/GSM/GPRS tracker that is applied by Customs to containers or to the driver’s cab (in case of vehicles transporting bulk cargo), once the truck enters into Congo, which is removed once the vehicles exits from the country.

The ECTS technology provides cargo visibility by offering real-time tracking of vehicles transporting transit goods. Moreover, it helps Customs to prevent thefts and fraud in the transport of goods, providing actionable information in order to retrieve goods or minimize loss of cargo.

Once the driver concludes the transit movement, the customs office of exit accesses to a report generated by the system that confirms the regularity of the transit operation. In case of excessive delays, stops in not-authorised areas along the road, or other irregularities, a non-compliance certificate is generated and penalties are applied by Customs.

The Congolese customs administration also developed an operational manual describing the system in detail , while a video with a practical demonstration of how the system works is avalable at this link.