Senegal Customs Fines

Members should note that the Correspondent in Senegal, TCI Africa, has informed the Club of an alarming trend in respect of fines imposed by the customs authorities in Dakar for alleged breaches of the local customs code. It appears that the customs authorities are rigorously auditing ship's declarations of stores, bunkers and consumables and then imposing draconian fines where any error has been made in the declaration. According to the Correspondent, not only are such fines being levied against most ships that enter the port but also the fines are out of all proportion to the alleged offence, with some running to hundreds of thousands and in one case over a million dollars.

Given the regular imposition of these draconian fines, the Correspondent has prepared a detailed explanation of the position in Senegal along with a list of steps that Members are recommended to take prior to arrival and/or prior to an inspection at Dakar (see attached).