Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine Group.

Webb Fontaine, a trade facilitation solutions provider, today said it has reached a critical milestone in its Benin customs digitalisation project.

The company stated that the project is driving a fundamental shift in customs operations across the country. 

Webb Customs offers authorities a fully digitalised, AI-powered Customs Management System that integrates all trade systems, including the National Single Window, the Port Community System, and the Electronic Cargo Tracking solution.

According to the firm, the end result is a streamlined cargo clearing procedure that minimises clearance time and corruption, secures customs income, and creates a paperless environment.

Webb Fontaine went on to say it has set up many future goals in Benin, with an emphasis on progressively modernising trade and customs operations through technological integration, research and development, and strategic alliances.

The statement was made during the 15th Public Finance Review Meeting in Cotonou, which brought together key stakeholders and technical partners under the guidance of Alban Bienvenu Bessan, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance.

In a statement, the business stated that the Webb Customs project, which began in July 2022, has already yielded promising results, with 44 of the country's 49 customs offices using Webb Customs as a substitute for the ASYCUDAWorld system.

It stated: "Webb Customs has already enabled the collection of over 30 billion CFA francs in revenue, the activation of more than 700 user accounts, 90 company accounts, the issuance of 48,000 laissez-passers, the processing of 59,000 returns, and the issuance of more than 100,000 receipts."

"The migration to Webb Customs in the last five offices, the country's top revenue earners, including the Port of Cotonou, is scheduled for mid-2025. This will result in an exponential increase in the aforementioned figures."

According to the company, the successful collaboration between the government of the Republic of Benin and Webb Fontaine "demonstrates how innovative technology can drive efficiency, security, and compliance in modern customs operations."

Alioune Ciss, CEO of Webb Fontaine Group, said: "We are proud to contribute to a more modern, efficient, and transparent Beninese Customs using advanced technologies, including AI, to strengthen the security of Customs operations and facilitate the exchange of information between Customs and other stakeholders along the global supply chain."