Strategic Management of Customs Administration Scrutinized Delegates of the Working Group for the reinforcement of a strategic management plan of Customs Administration from Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central Africa Republic and host country Cameroon met at the Yaounde Mont Febe Hotel last February 2, 3 and 4, 2010 to brainstorm on the 2009/2011 action plan for their Region’s branch of the World Customs Organization (WCO). Chairing the group work for Cameroon was the Principal Inspector of Customs, Ebenezer Tafili who is Head of the unit for International Cooperation at the General Directorate of Customs. Key speakers during the opening ceremony included the Regional Bureau Director, Souleymane SANGARE and the General Inspector at Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance, Mahamat Amine, who all stressed on the need for the Customs Administration to arm itself against 21st Century challenges. At the end of the three-day meeting, delegates recommended that; each Customs Administration should elaborate a strategic plan, each administration should have a structure dedicated to strategic planning, that a training programme for the reinforcement of capacities of Customs Administrative officials of the WCO on strategic management be registered in a module. This first meeting of the Working Group paved the way for the second one programmed for September 2010. Customs DG, Minette Libom Li Likeng encouraging her troops. Presiding over the closing ceremony, Cameroon’s Director General of Customs, Minette Libom Li Likeng underscored the key role which the working group is due to play in order to draft and adopt best proposals that will be placed on the table of the upcoming 15th Conference of Customs Director Generals in the West and Central African Region. While thanking Mohammed GHAZALI of Moroccan Customs for coming at the invitation of WCO to share his country’s experiences with West and Central African countries, Mrs Likeng promised to draw her colleagues’ attention on the conclusions and recommendations arrived at in Yaounde. By DOH JAMES SONKEY