Sound Support

Procédure d’importation

 

I-INTRODUCTION

Any individual or legal entity is free to import recorded media (phonograms and videograms) provided that they obtain a prior import authorization in accordance with Inter-ministerial Order n° 13 of February 7, 1984 issued by the Ivorian Copyright Office (BURIDA), under the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie.

In addition, it is recalled that the import or export of any goods whatsoever requires the prior obtaining of an Importer / Exporter Code (professional or occasional) – Cf. Legal Regimes of Imports – (Cf. Tab General Import Procedures of the site).

Ministry of Culture and Francophonie

Abidjan – Plateau

Cité Administrative, Tower E, 21st floor, Door 25

BP V 39 Ivory Coast

Tel: (+225) 20 21 83 94

Email : miniculture.francophonie@gmail.com

Website: http://www.culture.gouv.ci/

 

Bureau Ivoirien du Droit d’Auteur (BURIDA)

Abidjan, Cocody, II Plateaux – Vallon

Immeuble BURIDA, rue Bernard Dadié (near rue des jardins, near the restaurant Nuit de Saigon)

BP V 258 Ivory Coast

Tel: (+225) 22 41 22 11

Email: info@buridaci.com

Office hours: from 08h to 16h

Website: https://www.buridaci.com/web

 

 

II-AUTHORIZATION TO IMPORT

 

 

Any natural or legal person possessing an Importer/Exporter Code and having obtained an Import Intention from the Ivorian Copyright Office (BURIDA) is entitled to import recorded media (phonograms and videograms).

 

 

III-DOCUMENTS

 

  1. Import Declaration Form (FDI)

 

 

The Import Declaration Form (FDI) is mandatory if the value of the goods is higher than Five hundred thousand (500,000) FCFA – (Cf. Example of FDI).

 

The FDI is established online via the transactional site of the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE). To access the site, you must first be registered as an importer, exporter or forwarder (https://guce.gouv.ci/register/procedure). The documents and information to be provided are the following:

 

  • Importer Code (or Occasional Importer Code).
  • Pro-forma or Final Invoice.
  • Mode of Transport.
  • Name of the Bank (in Côte d’Ivoire), of the Importer (for the direct debit and obtaining the Exchange Authorization).
  • HS Codes of the products to be imported.

 

  1. Prior Authorization for Importation (PAI)

 

 

While waiting for a dematerialized procedure, this procedure is carried out manually today.

 

 

Obtaining the “Import Intention” is mandatory to validate the Customs Import Declaration. This request allows to check the reality of the Importer’s rights on the intellectual property of the works, the rights on the copyright, and the rights to the importation of the works. The validity of an Intent to Import is limited to the import to which it refers.

 

 

Manual procedure

 

 

STEP 1 – The importer goes to the Directorate of Mechanical Reproduction & Stickers (DRM and Stickers) of BURIDA (see address above) to purchase an “Intent to Import” form.

 

This Import Intention is subscribed by blocks of 1.000 copies, whatever the number of titles of CD albums, DVD or printed works.

Cost: 10.000 FCFA per 1.000 copies

 

 

STEP 2 – The importer fills in the Import Intent Form and submits it to the DRM and Stickers with the following documents:

 

  • Identity document of the applicant.
  • The invoice of the goods.
  • Eventually, all documents concerning the distribution of these supports (Producer’s Contract, Distribution License…).
  • Possibly, a receipt of payment of mechanical reproduction rights (paid abroad).

The Intent to Import is signed by the Director General of BURIDA.

 

STEP 3 – The Intent to Import is then transmitted to the DRM and Stickers, which assigns an agent[1] from the Service in charge of the Fight against Piracy. This agent goes with the importer to the port of entry to the territory to carry out the usual checks (distribution license, conformity of the declaration, etc.).

If the items checked are in conformity, the agent of the service in charge of the fight against piracy affixes the BURIDA visa to the Intent to Import.

 

STEP 4 – The importer may then proceed to file his Customs Declaration.

In the event that proof of payment of mechanical reproduction rights abroad cannot be provided, the importer will have to pay these rights to BURIDA. The cost of the mechanical reproduction rights amounts to :

  • For phonogram supports :
    • 160 FCFA per unit if the selling price of the support is less than or equal to Three thousand (3,000) FCFA.
    • 250 FCFA the unit when the selling price of the support is superior to Three thousand (3.000) FCFA.
    • For the supports of videogram: 8% of the selling price of the support.

 

Important remark:

Before being put on sale to the public, it is compulsory to put an adhesive label (sticker) on the sound or image support. (Cf. Form requesting the purchase of [stickers].

The price of the authentication stickers: 41,3FCFA/ Sticker.

 

Upon delivery of the packages, the imported media are conveyed to BURIDA to be affixed with the authentication stickers.

Otherwise, the sound or image media will be considered pirated and may be seized – see Order No. 47 of 19 August 1999.

The importer must then make an API request to the Ministry in charge of Commerce, – Cf. Inter-ministerial Order n°13 of February 7, 1984.

 

  1. Cargo Tracking Form (CTF) procedure

 

For any import by sea, the exporter, the forwarder abroad and the importer must create a Cargo Tracking Form (CTF) via the website of the Ivorian Shippers’ Office (OIC).

 

Upon shipment

 

Registration of the CTF – (See General Import Procedures tab of the website). The required documents are:

  • Final Invoice.
  • Bill of Lading (B/L).
  • Packing List.
  • Customs Export Declaration of the country of shipment.
  • The Certificate of Local Insurance in Côte d’Ivoire.
  • The Import Declaration Form (FDI) or its number.
  • In addition, for imports from countries outside the European Union, are required:
  • The Freight Invoice.
  • The Certificate of Origin.

 

  1. Certificate of Value

 

As soon as the goods are shipped and all transport documents for the goods are available (Final Commercial Invoice, Ocean Bill of Lading or Air Waybill, Freight Invoice Packing List, copy of the FDI and all other available certificates), the freight forwarder must initiate a request for a Certificate of Value.

 

 

All goods with an FOB value greater than or equal to One (1) million FCFA must obtain a Final Classification and Value Report (FCVR) from the Directorate of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) of the Customs via the electronic platform of the GUCE – Cf. Customs Circular No. 2007 of 29 March 2019.

 

 

The authorized forwarder downloads and fills in the Notice of Deposit (AD).

 

 

He attaches the documents accompanying the goods (see list above) to the Notice of Deposit and uploads the entire file online on the GUCE platform.

 

 

The Directorate of Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value (DARRV) of the Customs Department checks the shipping documents and delivers within 5 working days following the submission of the documents the Final Classification and Value Report by email to the receiver or the forwarder.

 

The freight forwarder fills out Form D41 (Sampling Permit: this is an authorization given by the importer or freight forwarder to Customs to take a sample of the goods for the purpose of qualitative verification or to visually assess the apparent condition of the goods) and physically submits it with the shipping documents (see list above) to the Risk Analysis, Intelligence and Value Division (DARRV) of Customs for verification.

 

 

After examining the file, the DARRV issues the Verification Certificate (AV).

 

 

Goods with an FOB value of less than one (1) million CFA francs and certain other products are exempt from the RFCV procedure – (See the list of goods not subject to RFCV on the website www.douane.ci) – (See the General Import Procedure tab).

 

 

  1. Customs declaration

 

On arrival

 

 

The Customs Declaration is made by a forwarder appointed by the Importer and approved by Customs.

 

 

The forwarder submits the Declaration in the Customs computer system – SYDAM (Sydonia World). The documents to be given to the forwarder to make the Customs Declaration are the following:

 

  • Original Bill of Lading (B/L) for sea shipments, or Air Waybill (AWB) for air shipments, or Consignment note for road shipments.
  • Original supplier’s invoice.
  • Certificate of Insurance.
  • Import Declaration Form (IDF) – via the GUCE website.
  • Freight Invoice.
  • Final Classification and Value Report (FCVR) if the FOB value is at least one (1) million CFA francs (or the Certificate of Value (CV) if the FOB value is less than one (1) million CFA francs, or if the products are excluded from the FCVR – see the list of goods not subject to the FCVR on the websites douane.ci and www.webbfontaine.ci)
  • The Packing List.
  • The Customs receipt if the method of payment of duties and taxes is cash.
  • The Cargo Tracking Form (BSC) issued by the Ivorian Shippers’ Office (OIC) for sea transport.
  • The UEMOA or ECOWAS Certificate of Origin if necessary.
  • The Certificate of Origin.
  • A Quality Certificate issued by a recognized international organization, before shipment of the products – (See General Import Procedures tab of the site).
  •  

 

The Bon à Enlever (BAE) from the Customs will be issued after examination of the file by the Customs and obtaining the Intention to Import from BURIDA issued upon arrival of the goods by BURIDA after inspection.

 

IV-LIST OF PRODUCTS

 

SH Code

Designation

8524100000

Discs for Electrophones.

8524320000

Discs for laser beam reading systems, for only sound reproduction.

8524390000

Other discs for laser beam reading systems.

[1] A Ministry of Commerce officer may replace the BURIDA officer, particularly at land borders.