TFAF approved a Project Preparation Grant (PPG) to support its implementation of Article 8 of the WTO TFA on Border Agency Cooperation on 11 February 2025.

The grant was used for an analytical study of two land border crossing points: Kidira (which is located on the border with Mali in the south-eastern region of Senegal) and Rosso (which is located on the border with Mauritania in the north of Senegal). The analysis was carried out by a national consultant and the NTFC Senegal. The NTFC validated the findings of the field diagnostic in a national workshop. Following up on the diagnostic, the project organised a workshop in Dakar on best practices in coordinated border management. The workshop, facilitated by an international expert, was attended by border authorities, private sector representatives and members of civil society. An expert from TradeMark Africa participated to share the experience with One Stop Border Posts and Coordinated Border Management from East Africa and present TradeMark Africa's activities along key corridors in the region.
The key recommendations to advance the implementation of Article 8 on Border Agency Cooperation, are as follows:

Firstly, a robust institutional framework is paramount, with inter-agency and cross-border committees operational from the project's inception.

Secondly, the implementation of digitalisation, single windows, electronic certificates and shared risk management has the potential to transform the experience of traders.

Finally, inter-institutional training for front-line agents and the modernisation of border posts are seen as levers for making border crossings more fluid and reducing costs.

Thanks to this project, Senegal has all the relevant information it needs to develop the necessary actions to effectively improve cooperation between agencies and facilitate trade.