The 10th regional meeting of the National Committees for Trade Facilitation of Central Asian countries started in Tashkent on 7 November, the Uzbek news portal Uzdaily.uz reports.
The two-day meeting was organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Society for International Cooperation) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as a part of the GIZ regional project “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia”.
The regional meeting is attended by key representatives of relevant national authorities and the private sector from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the EU delegation to Uzbekistan, the Germany Embassy in Uzbekistan, international organizations and development partners.
Underscoring the inherently multi-country nature of cross-border trade, Ms. Felicitas Siek, manager of the GIZ project “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia”, emphasized the significance of GIZ’s initiative to establish the regional platform of National Trade Facilitation Committees in 2019. This platform has fostered collaboration among Central Asian countries on this crucial subject, thereby contributing to the region’s economic prosperity and stability.
The regional dialogue between the Central Asian countries is a very important tool for implementing trade facilitation reforms and removing barriers to trade development at the regional level, she added.
She recalled that in April 2023, a “Statement on cooperation between the National Trade Facilitation Committees of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the field of trade facilitation” was signed.
Through joint cooperation with key actors involved in the regulation and implementation of trade facilitation measures, as well as consultations with private sector representatives at regional meetings, the implementation of trade facilitation measures in Central Asian countries has been improved; project members have studied and implemented experience and best practices in the region; promoted joint solutions and strengthened capacity in in the field of trade facilitation, removal of barriers to trade and transit between Central Asian countries both at the bilateral and regional levels, she added.
According to her, in October 2023, the successful and effective experience of the National Trade Facilitation Committees in Central Asia was presented at a meeting of the WTO Trade Facilitation Committee as one of the unique examples in the world.
During the meeting, it was noted that Germany and GIZ will continue to support the Central Asian countries in trade facilitation. In 2024-2026, a new phase of the project “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia” will be launched.
The new phase of the project will focus on:
- further implementation of digital solutions for trade facilitation;
- use of a regional platform for the formation and further monitoring of a joint roadmap of trade facilitation measures;
- assistance to transport and logistics companies using air transport in expanding their capabilities in order to improve the quality of services through new alternative corridors, such as the Trans-Caspian Corridor, to enter the European market;
- conducting specialized trainings for national partners in order to teach them how to independently develop digital solutions for interaction at the regional level.
Shukurullo Muminov, Deputy Head of the Department of Strategic Planning and Trade Facilitation of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, highlighted the progress in the field of trade facilitation: “If earlier it took 2-3 hours to register a cargo customs declaration, now it takes 2 minutes as a result of the automation of this process. The term of customs clearance was reduced from 3 three-day to 1 working day. Customs inspection, which used to take 2-3 days, now takes 10-15 minutes. In general, the customs inspection process has been reduced by 1.7 times, the efficiency has increased by 1.3 times.”
It was noted that over the past 20 years, thanks to partnership with national government agencies, the share of Central Asian countries in 2022 amounted to almost 15% of foreign trade turnover in general.
Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover with its regional neighbors has witnessed a remarkable surge between 2004 and 2022. Trade with Kazakhstan has multiplied nearly 11-fold, with Kyrgyzstan experiencing 18.5-fold increase. Trade with Turkmenistan has grown almost six times, while trade with Tajikistan has nearly quadrupled.
During the meeting, the achievements of the GIZ project “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia” were summed up. Thus, the project, together with national partners, supported the implementation of trade facilitation measures in the region, including:
- Introducing a risk management system in customs and other border authorities;
- Digitalization of trade and transit procedures, including a single window system for export-import operations in order to simplify vehicle control;
- The international digital TIR system, which ensures the secure exchange of data on the international transit of goods in accordance with the provisions of the TIR Convention between national Customs systems and allows Customs to manage data on guarantees;
- electronic phytosanitary certificate (e-phyto), which allows national regulatory authorities to exchange certificates electronically, as well as reduce the time and improve the reliability of documentation for the import and export of plant products, etc.;
- Development of public-private dialogue in the field of trade facilitation in Central Asian countries and the creation of National Committees for Simplification of Procedures trade in the region.
Particular attention was paid at the meeting to the results of the analysis on mapping digital solutions for trade facilitation, aspects of data protection and confidentiality.
In addition, one of the highlights of the event was a session on how to use artificial intelligence to access information about cross-border trade. The participants also discussed further priorities and initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of trade facilitation and implementation mechanisms.
Spearheaded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Society for International Cooperation), the regional project ‘Trade Facilitation in Central Asia’ spans Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. It aims to enhance trade facilitation measures in the region through targeted consulting support. The project streamlines and expedites cargo control procedures at the border and during transit, enhancing efficiency and transparency.
Established in 2019, the Network of National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) serves as a pivotal platform for stakeholder consultations, ensuring balanced participation from both the private and public sectors. It facilitates the coordination of trade facilitation reforms, fostering a spirit of collaboration among its Central Asian members. ///nCa, 8 November 2023
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