With World Bank funding IBI fully reviewed the customs procedures, infrastructure, and legal constraints of the Gambian Customs and Excise Department' and evaluated use of the UNCTAD-developed ASYCUDA software to connect other government bodies with the Customs headquarters for smoother and more efficient data transmission. Our analyses documented the roles, responsibilities, and processes for each internal office in import clearance and recommended improvements. Fuller use of the ASYCUDA software and simplification of procedures and harmonization of the clearance process with international best practices and with WCO and WTO standards began. The final report constituted the first detailed analysis of import clearance ever conducted in the Gambia. IBI offered recommendations that would actually make Banjul the most competitive port on the West African coast.

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