Trade Facilitation Support Program Annex D Meeting

1. Trade Facilitation Support ProgramAnnex D Meeting Bill Gain November 9, 2015

2. What does the WBG do on Trade Facilitation • World Bank Group is a major provider of trade facilitation assistance – $322 million in 2004 - $7.2 billion today • Program includes: • Knowledge products • Diagnostics and implementation support tools • Technical assistance and advisory services • Financing for major trade and transport facilitation and institutional reform projects (software and hardware) • Research and data products (LPI/Doing Business) • Global advocacy and partnerships with key regional and international organizations • Over 120 customs and border management & Trade Facilitation projects over past 20 years focused on areas covered by the TFA

3. Role of WBG in supporting the TFA • Advice on implementation planning and activity sequencing • Technical assistance to implement key measures • Stable long term support and financing for complex implementation commitments • Knowledge of what works, what doesn’t, and why • Convening power to bring parties together- honest broker • Project management support including - planning, sequencing, financial management, transparent procurement, quality assurance and contract management guidance

4. WTO-TFA Preparation & Implementation Support - Trade Facilitation Support Program (TFSP) Objective Vision • Implementation focused • Rapid response capability • Deep engagement with the private sector • Strong monitoring, evaluation & results framework • Complementary & sequenced Technical Assistance (TA) activity • IFC-WB presence in most countries, project components included at national and regional levels • Global expertise Assist developing countries in reforming and aligning their trade facilitation laws, procedures, processes & systems to enable implementation of the WTO TFA Requirements.

5. Sequencing of WBG Trade Facilitation Support Program WBG will support countries on WTO TF implementation on activities* -where technical assistance is clearly required and requested by member countries (CategoryC), or -where self implementation efforts require support (Category B) -where countries want to improve upon existing functional practices to align with best practice (Category A) We are concluding Phase 1 of the Program * This program can cover any combination of activities outlined above

6. TFSP Progress To Date • 47 countries formally requesting TFSP assistance • 40 Validation Missions Completed: Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia Herzegovina, Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Jordan, Kosovo, Lao, Lesotho, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tonga, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia • 36 Full Validations • 4 partial validations or assessments • In process of designing M & E Tools

7. Upcoming Missions • Missions scheduled to: • Liberia • Kiribati • FSM • Moldova • Ukraine • Montenegro • Nigeria • Colombia • Paraguay • Serbia • Kosovo • Southern Africa

8. TFSP Implementation Progress To Date

9. TFSP Implementation Progress To Date

10. Current TFSP Support for the Trade Information Portal The WBG TFSP is currently providing support for the development of Trade Information Portals in the following countries:

11. Common Challenges for Full and Effective Implementation of the WTO TFA • Challenges with a general understanding and knowledge of the TFA: • Multiple interpretations of the TFA • Lack of clear understanding of the legal implications of the TFA • Not all agencies are up to speed • Other Government Agencies (OGAs) not fully integrated into TFA agenda • Advocacy work needs to be undertaken to ensure buy-in from all relevant stakeholders • Challenges around planning reforms: • Establishment of Trade Facilitation Committees involving both the private and public sectors can be difficult • Challenges exist with selecting activities requiring donor support vs. self implementation • Non-existent or weak NTFC’s Fumigation with no alerts to traders

12. Common Challenges for Full and Effective Implementation of the WTO TFA (II) • Challenges around prioritization and sequencing of WTO TFA provisions: • Challenges exist with building consensus around reform priorities amongst all relevant stakeholders can be • Technical Challenges: • A general lack of awareness of processes and procedures exists among traders • Mandatory documents and official fees and charges are often not published or made easily accessible • Excessive manual processes and outdated legislation • Lack of an integrated ICT environment & inefficient logistics • Lack of an integrated approach to risk management for border clearance across border agencies • Multiple checking of documents and duplication in data entry and recording Long delays at check points

13. TFSP Progress To Date (II) • Regional Approaches • Central America – 5 Validation AssessmentReports completed (Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua). 5 national workshops and one regional workshop held to validate regional and national priorities. Sept. 29-30, 2015 • CEFTA – A regional NTFC workshop is to be organized in partnership with USAID for the following CEFTA countries Nov. 3-4, 2015: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine • Pacific– (Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, SI & PNG). Regional workshop held in August, support being provided for notification and implementation priorities to be agreed. Central American Regional Workshop, San Salvador, El Salvador, September 2015

14. Request Priority Trends • National Trade Facilitation Committees • Legal Analysis & Review • Customs Measures including • Advance Rulings • Risk Management • PCA • TRS • OGA’s • National Trade Portals

15. Critical Success Factors for Trade Facilitation Reform • Increased border agency cooperation and coordinationresulting smoother border management operations • Address Change Management Processes • Management of risk in the clearance process • Implement updated legal frameworks • Support integrity and transparency in border agencies • Simplify and harmonize processes and procedures • Ensure ICT support & Connectivity for border agencies • Develop enhanced public-private dialogue and increased exchange of knowledge and ideas

16. Additional Activities With Partners • WTO: Joint partnership on multiple fronts including Annex D, KM, and TFSP, SACU & Montenegro • ITC: Joint partnership in Jamaica workshop on TFA & Joint activities in Sri Lanka • UNCTAD: joint mission in Guatemala. • UNECE: Participation in TFA workshop in Ukraine • WCO: Joint PCA workshops in Serbia • USAID: Joint TFA assessments in Bangladesh, Serbia & Montenegro and participation in TFA workshops in Central America • TMEA – Rwanda and Burundi Assessments • EIF: Partnering with EIF and EC in Cape Verde. • IATA: Expedited Shipments in Costa Rica

17. Thank you, Bill Gain Global Program Manager Trade Facilitation World Bank Group Wgain@worldbank.org