The WCO launched its national Customs Enforcement Network (nCEN) application in yet another country in the East and Southern Africa region, in the Seychelles. Following the pilot projects in Mauritius and Kenya, the nCEN is already operational in Namibia and Swaziland.
After an official meeting in Victoria with the Seychelles Revenue Commissioner, Ms. Jennifer Morel, the WCO delegation conducted an seven-day nCEN Workshop intended to provide a group of selected officers with the skills to successfully operate the nCEN application in the Seychelles, thus improving the operational efficiency and analytical possibilities of their Administration. The workshop also touched upon the other WCO applications in the CEN suite, giving a valuable insight into the additional data mining capabilities provided by the global CEN database, or the information exchange potential of the CENcomm application.
The launch of the nCEN in the Seychelles is financially supported by the Finish government as a component of the WCO project "Building Trade Capacity through Customs Modernization in the East and Southern Africa Region", aiming at providing Customs Administrations with the necessary hardware and software as well as related knowledge and skills to implement simplified and improved customs procedures with modern customs operational techniques.
The nCEN application consists of three independent databases (a seizure database, a suspect database, and a company database), as well as a communication component. The core database of national seizures and offences comprises data required for analysis, including means of conveyance, routes, and the possibility to view photos depicting exceptional concealment methods. Two supplementary databases contain information on suspected persons and offending business entities, facilitating a structured investigation process.
The nCEN software is a free application for all WCO Members. The costs of the hardware needed to run the nCEN application, the costs associated with the training, and possible costs for modifications to the local IT infrastructure (if applicable), are however the responsibility of the implementing Customs Administration. More information on the nCEN can be obtained by contacting the WCO CEN Program at nCEN@wcoomd.org.