On Friday, July 4, 2025, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio, Christian YOKA, began his working visit to Pointe-Noire with the Departmental Directorates of Customs and Indirect Taxes in Pointe-Noire and Kouilou.

After reviewing the customs brigades lined up for his reception by this paramilitary force, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio visited the various departments, divisions, sections, and offices of the Pointe-Noire and Kouilou customs offices. After the visit, he delivered a statement to the customs officers. Christian Yoka is not satisfied with the current performance of Congolese customs: "...I'm not happy because, from my point of view, the results we're achieving are far from what they should be. I'm not happy because, after six months at the helm of the Ministry of Finance, the information I'm receiving about the ethics of the customs profession in my country is not positive. There are too many complaints, too many allegations of fraud, and reports of undervalued values. We can't continue like this."

Following this dismal assessment of the ethics of Congolese customs officers, Minister Christian Yoka calls on the sector's executives to exercise dignity and pull themselves together: "... I solemnly call for awareness. Let every customs officer examine themselves. I invite the Director General to undertake a collective management exercise with a view to improving the corporation's image. As far as I'm concerned, and I say this bluntly, I will not hesitate to sanction dishonest officers who fail to respect professional ethics."

Despite the tarnished image of the corporation by some customs officers, it should be remembered that the budget forecasts for the two departments of Pointe-Noire and Kouilou for 2024 were over 247 billion, for a collection of over 228 billion CFA francs, representing an implementation rate of 92.94%.

The Communication Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Public Portfolio