Making PVoC Solutions for Gabon Digital

PCA Newsletters12. Dec 2024.

The Gabonese Republic (Gabon) regulates several product categories under the Programme Gabonais d’Evaluation de la Conformité (PROGEC). This program ensures that imported goods meet Gabon’s safety, quality and environmental standards before entering the market. The digitalization of the pre-verification of conformity (PVoC) processes has streamlined trade compliance, providing significant benefits for exporters and authorities.

PROGEC is managed by the Directorate General of Industry within the Ministry of Industry. It requires certain products to obtain a certificate of conformity (CoC) from an authorized and accredited body, verifying compliance with relevant Gabonese and international standards. This certification process protects consumers, promotes fair trade and fosters sustainable economic development.

Products regulated under the harmonized system include:

Machines and appliances, electrical, electronic equipment and their parts – chapters 84, 85 and 94
Civil engineering, products from chemical industry and construction – chapters 28, 29, 31, 32, 35, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 68, 69, 70 to 83
Health, medical and surgical instruments and devices, personal care, cosmetics and toys – chapters 33, 34, 90 and 95

Given that public health and safety are priorities for the Gabonese authorities, products not currently covered by PROGEC should still consider voluntary certification to ensure safety and compliance.

Going digital

SGS has provided PVoC services on behalf of the National Standard Body, Agence Gabonaise de Normalisation (AGANOR) since 2015. As part of our mission to become the testing, inspection and certification (TIC) industry’s most digital company, we finalized the introduction of the electronic CoC (e-Certificate) in 2022. All stakeholders – exporters, importers, AGANOR, customs, etc. – now get the e-Certificate upon issue. From the perspective of the authorities, this helps to safeguard market integrity, and for the importer/exporter it simplifies the process of cross-border trade.

To augment this digital transformation, all requests for CoC (RFC) are submitted through the Exporter Portal – a secure web-based platform that simplifies and accelerates the process of submitting RFC and allows exporters to do it 24/7. Using SGS QiiQ™ app, inspections can now also be conducted digitally. This system is fully compliant with ISO/IEC 17020:2012 and aligned with World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Customs Organization (WCO) requirements.

Finally, the client experience has been improved through the introduction of the new e-Trade platform.

Routes to certification

Exporters can obtain an e-Certificate via one of three routes:

ROUTE A: for unregistered traders, suppliers and manufacturers of sensitive goods
ROUTE B (Registration): for registered suppliers of manufactured goods and frequent exporters with homogeneous products
ROUTE C (Licensing): for certified products from manufactures and their authorized representatives

It is important to note that this digitalization process of PROGEC fully aligns with the World Bank-funded program ‘Gabon Digital’, which was recently officially launched by the Prime Minister of Gabon. The main objectives of ‘Gabon Digital’ are:

Modernization of administration
Dematerialization of procedures
Strengthening interconnection of administrations

Opportunities

Exporters should be aware of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Creating a market of over 1.2 billion people and the eighth largest trading bloc in the world, it creates several opportunities, as well as challenges associated with increased intra-African trade.

PROGEC will certainly be one of the tools used to address these challenges, particularly in relation to compliance with international quality standards. Discussions are already underway with AGANOR to strengthen the program and prepare it for the expected changes in the business environment.

SGS offers comprehensive solutions delivered by a dedicated team of experts to ensure efficient and effective shipment of goods to Gabon. Our liaison office in Libreville supports exporters and importers at every stage of the conformity and certification process, ensuring the smooth delivery of regulated products to Gabonese markets and compliance with procedures agreed with AGANOR.

For more details about SGS services, please feel free to contact the SGS office in your country.

Learn more about Gabon – Certificate of Conformity (PROGEC).

This article can also be found in our PCA Newsletter (Q4/2024) – which keeps you up to date with developments in technical barriers to trade and product conformity assessment.