A two-week training programme for 245 new recruits of the Cameroon Customs Administration has kicked off in Yaounde.

The programme which began on Monday, 22nd September, 2014 aims at briefing participants on the missions, organisation and functioning of the Customs Department.

The training which is taking place at the International Relation Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) in Yaounde is a follow-up to a two-month intensive military initiation course at the Koutaba Military Training Centre.

Assistant Custom Controllers, Custom Guards, Custom Clerks and Custom Agents are taking part in the course which seeks to build their capacities in customs surveillance and economic intelligence.

According to the representative of the Director General of Customs, Mr Damna, the training is timely with the introduction of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the increase in cross-border insecurity.

To him, the prevalence of attacks at the border hinders international trade and provides a breeding ground for fraudulent and counterfeit dealings.

Mr. Damna further noted that the new recruits have come to inject new blood into the department which has been experiencing a shortage in human resource.

The 245 trainees will therefore be equipped with knowledge on how to handle the sector at a time when it is facing challenges and undergoing reforms.