Mauritania has been launching several e-government development projects since 2020. Indeed, the country’s government, after understanding the importance of modernizing the public administration amidst the Covid-19 crisis, started prioritizing strategic partnerships.

To speed up the digitalization of public services in the country, the Mauritanian government, on 11th Jan 2022, signed two (2) memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Emirati firms. According to the Mauritanian Minister for Digital Transition, Innovation, and the Modernization of the Administration, the signing took place during the Mauritania Day at the Expo 2020 Dubai currently taking place in the UAE (started on October 21 and ending on March 31, 2022). The official broke the news on January 19.

The first of the two MoUs was signed with Tahaluf Al Emarat, a company that provides smart services and security products. The deal, among others, should help Mauritania simplify decision-making in the public sector, leveraging digital solutions; boost the capacities of its experts in the AI, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and network sectors; as well as improve access to public services via mobile.

The second protocol signed with the Emirati company Serdal Limited is focused on supporting the government in developing market, technical, and operational studies (feasibility studies) related to digitalization in Mauritania. The firm’s expertise will serve for several projects, including the development of e-commerce, digital postal services, and the digitization of Mauritania's border crossings. Both parties involved in the deal will set up a team that will define the terms and conditions of the services offered under this MOU.

A third memorandum was signed with 01 Talent Africa, a company founded by Nicolas Sadirac and Deror Sultan. Under this agreement, Mauritania will get a collective intelligence center called "Zone01". The facility will house a coding school, a professional digital training center, and a digital talent agency.

"These memoranda of understanding are part of the ministry's efforts to consolidate the new digital dynamics recently launched by the government, to foster a smooth, secure and inclusive digital transformation in Mauritania while encouraging digital innovation and making e-governance a tool for modernizing Mauritania’s Administration,” said the Ministry of Digital Transition and Innovation.

Taking advantage of the UAE’s technical expertise to accelerate the digitization of its public services adds up to Mauritania’s multiple efforts to consolidate its digital achievements. Among such achievements, there is the ongoing construction of a Tier III data center and the completion, in December 2020, of a 4,000 km national fiber-optic network. At the moment, the country is fine-tuning its new digital development strategy.

This year, Mauritania plans to digitize 20 basic public services, out of 110 public services which should be digitized by 2025. This was disclosed last December by Abdelaziz Ould Dahi, Minister of Digital Transition, Innovation, and Modernization of the Administration,

Adoni Conrad Quenum

After using the ASYCUDA computerized customs management system for many years, Guinea now plans to adopt more solutions to make its customs office more efficient.

This year, the Guinean Customs office plans to speed up its digitalization to be more efficient and produce better financial results. Its managing director, Col. Moussa Camara (photo), disclosed this on 26 January 2022 during a ceremony held to celebrate the International Customs Day.

According to Guinea Morning, Camara explained that his administration would continue "to dematerialize clearance procedures in all its offices across the country, extend the payment of duties and taxes online and other modes of payment, extend the possibilities of access to customs computer systems, including through cell phones, continue and finalize the deployment of the electronic platform for foreign trade management in collaboration with the Guichet, and continue the interconnection with the computer system of public and private entities."

In 2011, the Guinean Customs started its digital transformation and in 2015 it switched management systems from ASYCUDA++ to ASYCUDA WORLD. To facilitate trade with other West African countries, which have also begun modernizing their customs administration, the country, over the past years, has been investing steadily in more advanced digital tools.

Moussa Cissé, Guinea's Minister of Budget, was present at the ceremony held on International Customs Day. On the occasion, he said that the 2022 revenue target set for the Customs office was 12,975.746 billion Guinean francs ($1.44 billion), under the forecast budget.

Adoni Conrad Quenum