PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BRIEFS
         Niger: Cotecna Inspections
              Niamey Liaison Office




Overview
The Government of Niger (GoN) awarded Cotecna Inspection Services S.A. of Switzerland
(COINS) a concession to develop import verification and trade facilitation services. COINS
will establish a Cotecna Inspection Services S.A. Niamey Liaison Office in Niamey, the
country’s capital. Niger is heavily dependent on imports for foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles
and parts, petroleum, and cereals. Imports represent 40 percent of Niger’s GDP.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is supporting COINS through a
guarantee covering its investment for up to six years.


    This series showcases how the World Bank Group supports the development
    and implementation of public-private partnerships. This support comes in the
    form of public sector loans, private sector finance, sector and transaction advice,
    guarantees, and output-based aid.




                                                        PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS - MAY 2016
Background                                                                                          assistance to the Government of Niger (GoN) for the
                                                                                                    modernization of national customs.
The project is the first guarantee MIGA has issued
                                                                                                    COINS will provide these services to the government
since Niger became the agency’s 177th member
                                                                                                    in return for a monthly operating and management
country in 2012. Niger’s membership in MIGA means
                                                                                                    service fee. COINS will provide training and build
that foreign direct investments into the country are
                                                                                                    capacity for the government’s future takeover of
now eligible for the agency’s political risk insurance.
                                                                                                    operations and improve public resource management.
This insurance also extends to investors from Niger
                                                                                                    The operations will sustain 136 local jobs and boost
going into other developing countries may also receive
                                                                                                    greater transparency in Niger’s import verification
coverage for their investments from MIGA.
                                                                                                    process.
The World Bank Group’s areas of focus in Niger
include increasing transparency and governance as
                                                                                                    World Bank Group Role
well as improving cross-border trade. Currently,
imports represent nearly 40 percent of Niger’s                                                      On December 19, 2012 MIGA issued a guarantee of
GDP. By enhancing inspections, tracking and                                                         $6.2 million covering the investment by COINS in
verification of imports in Niger, this project aims                                                 its Niamey Liaison Office in Niger. The coverage is for
to boost government revenues and improve overall                                                    a period of up to six years against the risks of transfer
trade efficiency. COINS also complements MIGA’s                                                     restriction, expropriation, war and civil disturbance,
strategic priority of supporting investments into                                                   and breach of contract.
countries eligible for concessional lending from the
International Development Association.                                                              Outcomes
Project Description                                                                                 COINS will introduce greater transparency and
                                                                                                    efficiency into Niger’s import verification processes.
COINS Niamey consists of a five-year build-operate-                                                 The transparent audit trail provided by scanning
transfer contract to supply, install, maintain, and                                                 data will also help the government secure revenues
operate three mobile container scanners at different                                                through the elimination of opportunities for fraud
locations (Niamey Route, Niamey Rive Droite, and                                                    and fiscal evasion. Security at points of entry will also
Maradi); to provide pre-shipment inspection and                                                     be enhanced by ensuring that containerized goods
document verification at origin; to verify compliance                                               are not illegal. In addition, COINS will facilitate
of imported goods with applicable standards based on                                                trade through more efficient and rapid verification of
service contracts; and to deliver training and logistical                                           imported goods.




Photo Credits
Front: Bob Nichols/USDA; Back: Jean Rebiffé/Creative Commons license, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/




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