{"id":18690,"date":"2026-08-20T17:02:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/?p=18690"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:02:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:02:36","slug":"afcfta-secretariat-and-bergmans-sign-us3-1-billion-customs-modernisation-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/afcfta-secretariat-and-bergmans-sign-us3-1-billion-customs-modernisation-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Sign US$3.1 Billion Customs Modernisation Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat<\/strong> and <strong>Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited<\/strong> have signed a <strong>20-year, US$3.1 billion Concession Agreement<\/strong> to implement a major customs modernisation project aimed at making the movement of goods across African borders faster, safer and more predictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>AfCFTA Customs Modernisation Project<\/strong> will finance and deploy modern digital customs systems and physical border infrastructure across participating AfCFTA State Parties through a <strong>Public-Private Partnership (PPP)<\/strong> model. The project will support customs administrations to simplify and digitalise procedures, strengthen coordination and improve the movement of goods across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The areas earmarked for implementation include customs digital solutions, secure electronic exchange of customs information, coordinated border management, One Stop Border Posts, modern transit systems and electronic cargo tracking. The project will also cover non-intrusive inspection technology, integrated data centres, multilingual customs portals, risk management systems, data analytics and capacity building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These interventions are expected to reduce border clearance times, strengthen customs control and safeguard public revenue, while improving supply-chain predictability for <strong>manufacturers, exporters, transporters and other businesses<\/strong> operating across African markets. Greater interoperability between national customs systems is also expected to make the movement of goods faster, safer, more transparent and more predictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agreement follows a <strong>Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans in July 2026<\/strong>, marking the transition from initial cooperation towards implementation of the customs modernisation project. A key objective will be to promote interoperability among customs systems and progressively harmonise border procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The AfCFTA Agreement, which entered into force on <strong>30 May 2019<\/strong>, brings together the <strong>55 Member States of the African Union<\/strong> into a single market of approximately <strong>1.4 billion people<\/strong>, with a combined GDP of about <strong>US$3.4 trillion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> The Business &amp; Financial Times (B&amp;FT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read more here:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/thebftonline.com\/article\/afcfta-secretariat-bergmans-sign-us-3-1bn-deal-to-modernise-africa-s-customs-systems\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">B&amp;FT \u2013 AfCFTA Secretariat, Bergmans sign US$3.1bn deal to modernise Africa\u2019s Customs Systems<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The AfCFTA Secretariat and Bergmans Security Consultants and Supplies Limited have signed a 20-year, US$3.1 billion Concession Agreement to modernise customs systems across Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[153],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-articles"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6150,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/project-update-sme-training-module-three-export-to-africa\/","url_meta":{"origin":18690,"position":0},"title":"Project Update: SME Training Module Three- Export To Africa","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"May 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The third module of the SME training organized by Maastricht School of Management in collaboration with GNBCC\u00a0took place last week.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Training &amp; Workshops&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Training &amp; Workshops","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/training-workshops\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-24_0_3rd_module.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-24_0_3rd_module.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-24_0_3rd_module.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-24_0_3rd_module.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18144,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wib-trade-readiness-masterclass-equips-women-entrepreneurs-for-global-markets\/","url_meta":{"origin":18690,"position":1},"title":"WIB Trade Readiness Masterclass Equips Women Entrepreneurs for Global Markets","author":"Paul N.","date":"August 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The GNBCC's WIB Trade Readiness Masterclass equipped women entrepreneurs with practical knowledge on export readiness, customs compliance, logistics, trade regulations, and AfCFTA opportunities. The session strengthened participants' capacity and confidence to expand their businesses into regional and international markets.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Training &amp; Workshops&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Training &amp; Workshops","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/training-workshops\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Article12v2-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Article12v2-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Article12v2-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Article12v2-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Article12v2-5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13142,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/algiers-to-host-intra-african-trade-fair-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":18690,"position":2},"title":"Algiers to host Intra-African Trade Fair 2025","author":"Paul N.","date":"August 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) is scheduled to take place at Palais des Expositions in the heart of the Algerian capital, Algiers, from September 4-10, 2025.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-01_0_Capture-19.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-01_0_Capture-19.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-01_0_Capture-19.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-08-01_0_Capture-19.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16769,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/us100m-marine-insurance-windfall-hinges-on-claims-credibility\/","url_meta":{"origin":18690,"position":3},"title":"US$100m marine insurance windfall hinges on claims credibility","author":"Paul N.","date":"July 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ghana\u2019s new marine cargo insurance regime presents a major opportunity to strengthen trade resilience and retain insurance value locally. 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Revenue projected to increase with full rollout","author":"Michael Teye","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Publican Trade Solution, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based software, helps customs officers to determine the real value of imported goods declared into the customs system.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Customs-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14750,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/gra-bets-on-ai-to-lift-customs-revenue-by-45\/","url_meta":{"origin":18690,"position":5},"title":"GRA bets on AI to lift Customs revenue by 45%\u00a0\u00a0","author":"Michael Teye","date":"January 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is turning to artificial intelligence for plugging long-standing leakages in Customs revenue \u2013 after pilot tests showed the technology could lift collections as much as 45 percent by tightening controls on undervaluation and misclassification of imports.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GRA-AI-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ESQ-Elsie-39.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18690"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18694,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18690\/revisions\/18694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}