WAIVER REQUIREMENTS
BESC
Bordereau Electronique de Suivi des Cargaisons
The Republic of the Congo also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa. It is bordered by 5 countries: GABON to the West, CAMEROON to the North-North West, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC to the North-North-East, REPUBLIC DEMOCRATIC OF CONGO to the North-East, South-East, South and ANGOLA to the South-West.
According to the decree No. 008/19/AO/PR – DCMCE dated 12/04/99, issued by the Congolese Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et du Budget all seaport entrances in Rep Congo must apply for ECTN certificate with the aim to trace goods entering the country.
According to Circular Note N° 0812/CCC/DG of 01/09/2018 – Any BESC subscribed beyond five (5) working days after the departure of the vessel exposes the shipper, importer, shipper and/or the maritime freight forwarder to the payment of the price of the ECTN increased by 50%.
As of 01/02/2024, the export declaration will be a mandatory requirement for all ECTNs to the Republic of Congo
From 01/10/2024, no more corrections to the ECTN after the vessel’s arrival in CONGO. All changes must be made before confirmation of the ECTN validation.
Ports
| POINTE NOIRE | YOMBO |
Documents and Informations required
- Bill of Lading (Final B/L for validation)
- Commercial invoice: currency must be mentioned in $ or €
- Freight invoice in the same currency (not needed in case the freight charges are mentioned on the commercial invoice)
- GUOT (Guichet Unique des Opérations Transfrontaliers) document / provided by importer
- Export document
- Phone number and email address of consignee
- ETS & ETA
- H.S. code
Additional information
- It is not possible to create an ECTN number for Congo beforehand. The ECTN number will be provided after validation of the ECTN document.
- For Congo it is not mandatory to mention an ECTN number on the Master Bill of Lading.
From 01/08/2024, all oil shipments to the Republic of Congo must include the ECTN number in their shipping documents.
AVOID VIOLATION OF ARTICLES :
– Article 3 of Decree No. 98-39 of 29 January 1998
– Art 3 & 7 of Order No 1033/MTMM-CAB of 14 May 2008.Failure to include the ECTN number may result in penalties for the shipping company under the regulations in force.
- From September 1st, 2024, any corrections after validation will only be permitted if the shipment’s ETA has not yet been reached. All correction requests must be submitted before the ETA date, as no exceptions will be made to this policy.
Procedure
- Submit the required documents by email or online.
- You will be sent a draft and an invoice, typically within the same day.
- Once your payment has been received and you approve the draft, validated certificate be sent.
Timeline
- ECTN must be presented to the CCC (Congolese Shippers Council) within 5 days after the departure and 5 days before the vessel arrives to the port.
- The ECTN must be validated 5 days before the vessels arrival.
- The process can typically be done within 48 hours after receipt of payment.
Penalties
- If the ECTN is not in compliance with the regulations its costs increase by 50% in case a validation is requested beyond three (3) calendar days after departure of the vessel.
- Shipment arriving without ECTN or false information in the ECTN results in a fine of an amount that is twice of the cost of the ECTN.
- Plus the regulation charge determined by Congolese National Port officials.