1. ECOWAS REGIONAL TRADE & TRANSPORT FACILITATION INITIATIVES
November, 2012

2. Content Regional Context Relevant International Perspectives
Protocols & Decisions
Relevant International Perspectives
ECOWAS Regional Interventions
Trade & Customs
Transport & Trade Facilitation
Programmes and Interventions
Conclusion

3. Regional Perspective Some Related ECOWAS PROTOCOLS
ECOWAS Revised Treaty
Article 3 para. 2(d): Establishment of a common market
ECOWAS Trade liberalization Scheme, Customs Co-operation and Administration towards the Customs Union
Article 32: Transport & Communications
Member States resolve to develop transport infrastructure and policies to promote physical cohesion among member states and the facilitate the movement of persons, goods and services within the Community special emphasis on increased access to island and land-locked countries
Article 35: Liberalization of Trade
Article 36: Customs Duties
Article 37: Common External Tariff
Article 45: Re-Exportation of Goods and Transit Facilities
Article 46: Customs Cooperation and Administration

4. Ensuring Trade Facilitation - Obligation or Prerogative?
The WCO’s SAFE Framework of Standards, June 2007 – Aims, amongst others, to facilitate legitimate trade through concepts of ‘Customs-to-Customs’ and ‘Customs-to-Business’ partnerships.
Risk management to focus attention on high risk traders and goods,
Automation to enable traders and intermediaries to submit documentation electronically,
Single Window Systems
Integrated/Coordinated Border Management
Accreditation for “trusted traders”, AEO, etc
UN Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods, Geneva 1982
Reduce requirements for completing formalities, No./duration of controls by national and international coordination of controls
WTO International Trade Principles (National, Regional & International
Harmonization
Simplification
Standardization
Transparency

5. ECOWAS Interventions - Harmonization, Simplification, Transparency...
The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) to promote the Free Trade Area within the region
Free movement (tariff and non-tariff ) of regional originating products
Rules of Origin
Agreed list of products ( )
ECOWAS Customs Union
The Common External Tariff (CET) (in 2013)
ECOWAS Customs Computer Interconectivity Program (ALISA) – designed, pilot

6. ECOWAS Interventions - Harmonization, Simplification, Transparency...
Harmonization of the Community Customs Code and the customs procedure code (still in progress)
Harmonization and simplification of trade procedure (processing of customs documents or declarations, collection of data…)
Positive Results:
Reduction of Customs barriers in Member States (Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso)
Bilateral agreement on harmonization of customs documents and free movement of customs officers in some Countries
Signature of MOU for the movement of some specific goods within the region

7. Main challenges faced by the member States on the implementation of trade facilitation measures:
Increasing & Unpredictable Customs Barriers on Corridors increasing the time to export goods
Non-uniform harmonization of customs instruments.
Lack of will of authorities in the implementation of legal text on trade facilitation.
absence of comprehensive data at customs check points at the borders.
Lack of cooperation and confidence between the countries

8. Trade Infrastructure and Transport Infrastructure

9. TRANS (west) -AFRICAN HIGHWAY
Trans Coastal, Dakar-Lagos corridor missing links (PIDA)
Trans Sahelian - Dakar – Niamey-N’Djamena multimodal corridor (PIDA)
Nigeria ; Benin ;Togo ;Ghana; Cote d’Ivoire; Liberia; Sierra Leone; Guinea Bissau; Guinea; The Gambia; Senegal
Senegal,
Mali,
Burkina Faso, Niger

10. Joint Border Posts (JBPs)
Milestones
Infrastructure – 3 being constructed, several planned
Legal Framework – operating hours, management, security coordination, flow of traffic types, Information sharing, etc…
Operational Manuals – develop a compendium of operating manuals to guide agencies
ICT Interconnection & Info Excahnge
Management – facilities, security, etc
Sensitization and Training

11. WHOLLY LOCATED IN ONE STATE

12. STRADDLED BETWEEN 2 STATES

13. JUXTAPOSED BETWEEN 2 STATES

14. Legal Requirements for Wholly in 1 State Post
Extraterritorial jurisdiction;
Hosting officials of adjoining States in UEMOA/ECOWAS land within the State of location to perform functions in terms of their own national laws
Niger
Benin

15. Legal Requirements for Straddled Post
Extraterritorial jurisdiction;
Hosting officials of adjoining States in UEMOA/ECOWAS land within the State of location to perform functions in terms of their own national laws
Burundi
Rwanda

16. Legal Requirements for Juxtaposed JBP
Ghana
Extraterritorial jurisdiction;
Hosting officials of adjoining States in UEMOA/ECOWAS land within the State of location to perform functions in terms of their own national laws
Côte d’Ivoire

17. JOINT BORDER POST PROJECTS
JBPs – Update and Way forward
Architectural and engineering designs completed for the initial seven (7) JBP sites (Sèmè-Kraké Plage, Hillacondji-Sanveekondji, Noépé, Malanville, Paga, Noé-Elubo and Kouremalé,)
Construction ongoing on three (3) sites: Sèmè-Kraké Plage (Nigeria/Benin border) (25%), Noépé (Togo – Ghana border) (45%) and Malanville (Benin – Niger border) – 65%.
Consistent Consultation and Dialogue with States (all levels)
Completion of harmonized Legal Framework and Operations Manual
Development of Bilateral Agreements between border countries regarding the haulage/trucking modalities
Study on the Management options for sustainability and maintenance of facilities
Equipment Needs assessment and procurement
Training, Sensitization and traveler Education

18. Corridor Development & Management
NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT AND TRANSIT FACILITATION C’TTEES
Road Transport Dir
Gendarmerie Nationale
National Police
Trade Directorate
Organized Road Transport Unions
National Guarantors
Forwarding Agents
Customs
Port Authorities
ECOWAS/UEMOA National Units
ECOWAS Brown Card Sec.
Chamber of Commerce
ANY OTHER INSTITUTION or STRUCTURE
COMPOSITION
Ensure the smooth flow of Inter-State Road Transport, Trade & Persons
Chairperson – Director of Road Transport

19. Corridor Development & Management
CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES
A corridor is a set of transport infrastructures and transport services supporting an international trade route.
Formation (Corridor Countries)
Reps from Public Sector and Private Sector
Monitor and Coordinate activities relating to the implementation of the RRTTFP and Inter-State Transit
Identify obstacles hampering the smooth flow of traffic along the corridor and seek their removal

20. Corridor Development & Management
Establishment of a permanent Corridor Management and Development Agency - Pilot (Corridor/Proof of Concept Approach) - MOU among Corridor countries
Experiences – Southern and Eastern African Corridor Groups and Agencies
Smart & Multi-Modal Corridor programmes (feasibility studies) – off AU PIDA-PAP projects.
Single window, cargo tracking, commercial vehicle tracking, container tracking, and high-visibility corridor efficiency monitoring.
Corridor Management Committees
Improve maritime transport and the connection between island and mainland countries
New maritime service between regional ports and facilitating this with modern information system that links the maritime service with ports and road corridor – Praia – Dakar – Abidjan

21. Corridor Performance Monitoring
Monitoring process (two levels): ECOWAS STRATEGY
monitoring corridor efficiency - indicators linked to transport services demand, offer and delivery
monitoring actual programme implementation aimed at improving the efficiency of the corridor
USAID West Africa Trade Hub & Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO)
Coordinated Region-wide Transport Observatory off the successes and lessons of earlier initiatives
Expanded, Sustainable and Institutionalized transport observatory initiatives
Coordination – (RECs, EU, USAID-WATH, ALCO, Agribusiness Trade Promotion, World Bank, AfDB, etc)
Supports Advocacy, transparency, Name & Shame...

22. Harmonization, Simplification...
Implementation of the Inter State Road Transit (ISRT) Scheme
National Guarantee System being phased out for a Regional system
Road Haulage Transport Industry Reforms
1 - Reforms in the Road transport industry (Professionalization)
Liberalization – suppress cargo sharing to ensure competition to improve efficiency
Capacity building on sound management practices
Incentives to strictly respect rules and regulation such as axle load, road safety
2 - Vehicle fleet modernization (assess existing fleet conditions & obstacles to fleet modernization; explore financing options)
Axle Load Control Harmonization – Supplementary Act adopted by Summit of HoS&G in Implementation
Sensitization
Equipment
Enforcement

23. THANK YOU & KEEP SMILING……..IT HELPS!!!