Senegal joins World Logistics Passport

By Agence de Presse Africaine Last updated Dec 2, 2021

APA- Dakar Dakar can now rely on this global transport and logistics network to diversify its trade. Due to its geographical position, Senegal has considerable assets that position it as a key player in trade between Africa and the rest of the world. Aware of these comparative advantages, the World Logistics Passport has decided to make Dakar its main hub in West…

APA – Dakar (Senegal) Dakar can now rely on this global transport and logistics network to diversify its trade.

By Abdourahmane Diallo

Due to its geographical position, Senegal has considerable assets that position it as a key player in trade between Africa and the rest of the world.

Aware of these comparative advantages, the World Logistics Passport has decided to make Dakar its main hub in West Africa, which will thus be able to benefit from commercial advantages, particularly towards Latin America, which represents less than 1 percent of its exports.

The official implementation of this initiative the objective of which is to strengthen trade and logistics in Senegal took place in the Senegalese capital on Wednesday.

Senegalese companies can now rely on the global expertise of the 25 WLP hubs around the world to develop.

A public-private initiative, the WLP is built on three essential pillars.

First, there is the improvement of the governance of key players in trade and logistics.

The aim is to enable the port, airport, customs and free trade zones to work more smoothly and efficiently.

The second pillar focuses on investment.

The WLP has a fund of more than $1 billion co-financed by the United Arab Emirates.

Senegal will benefit from this to improve the digitalisation of the port, airport, customs.

The third and final pillar concerns the loyalty benefits offered to companies in exchange for an annual growth of 5 percent in the Senegalese hub.

These privileges include priority access to disembarkation at the port, priority inspection at customs, additional days of storage for companies and an accelerated service between the port and the airport for cargo distribution.

“All of these elements are there to achieve a minimum of 20 percent cost reduction and 20 percent time reduction for companies that will be specialising in trade and logistics in Senegal,” said WLP Director of International Relations, Anthony O’Sullivan.

Welcoming the outcome of this process, the Secretary General of the Senegalese Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Alioune Ndiaye, said that the WLP “is an opportunity for Senegal to further modernise its transport infrastructure but also to increase its trade, customs and tax revenues.”

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