Capacity building for East African Community trade portals connectivity and trade facilitation support

This 2-year multi-country project is aimed at enhancing digital trade facilitation and customs modernization connecting Trade Information Portals (TIPs) and upgrading customs systems to share intra-regional and extra-regional market information through creating an Afro-Asian data window. 

This project will serve seven EAC countries to upscale their ICT capacity to address challenges of trade ICT systems, inadequate market information, low levels of online connectivity and inadequate transparency when countries apply trade policies across the region and with the rest of the world. It will also help increase the capacity of the trade facilitation ecosystem in harmonizing and coordinating trade facilitation and customs policies of the EAC Partner States to create synergies and improved attractivity for foreign investors, particularly the ASEAN+ market. The project will be coordinated by the EAC secretariat in close collaboration with UNCTAD as the implementing agency and the National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs).

Objective of the project 

The objective of this project is to increase regional connectivity through trade ICT systems linkage, data exchange, customs systems upgrade for improved transparency and trade as well as enabling connectivity for import, export, and transit to and from the EAC region with other AfCFTA countries as well as the ASEAN+ market.

Component 1: NTFC Coordination and Trade Information Portals

Component 1.1: Connectivity of Trade Information Portals

• Enhancements of EAC Trade Information Portals to improve the ASEAN+-EAC trade business climate:
• Support national simplification agendas to streamline procedures relating to the trade of key commodities between EAC and ASEAN+ market.

Component 1.2: Institutional capacity building of the National Trade Facilitation Committees and the EAC Sub-Committee on Trade Facilitation through the Reforms Tracker

• Develop the Reform Tracker in DRC and South Sudan.
• Organize training on EAC Reform Trackers and cement their role as central tools to facilitate trade and as the preferred resource centers for the trading community.
• Develop regional M&E system and benchmark report on simplified trade facilitation procedures using the Reform Tracker.
• Organize regional policy workshop alongside EAC Summit on Reform Tracker to validate report & submit policy recommendations to Governments for implementation.
• Develop a regional e-learning platform on Trade Facilitation.

Component 2: Customs modernization

• Install a real-time tariff calculator in TIPs of partner states' using the ASYCUDA customs management system and for the non-ASYCUDA user countries, a consultation process will take place to assess the feasibility of such tool in their respective systems.
• Conduct an assessment for connectivity requirements for the EAC countries.
• South Sudan readiness assessment for the implementation of ASYCUDA customs management system.

Intended outcomes

• Increased transparency and regional accountability where countries will communicate more systematically, widely, and effectively on trade facilitation reforms and their impact. Countries will be able to account for the rate of implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation reforms and specified in member states category A, B and C schedules as portrayed on E-Trade Facilitation platform that will be developed. This is expected to improve the investment climate and greater intra-regional within the African market and extra-regional trade with Asia.
• Improved institutional capacity of trainers able to equip national reform committees and trade information portal officers with the skills to document and simplify procedures, monitor, and communicate on trade facilitation reforms using the Reform Tracker, the Trade Information Portal, and its modules.
• Increased connectivity of East Africa with the rest of the world through sharing market information and linking global value chains.
• It is also expected to increase intra-regional trade, greater inclusivity of all genders in trade and enhance integration and compliance with WTO Trade facilitation agreement obligations through connectivity of border systems and enhanced data sharing.

Link to the SDGs:

• Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The project aims to increase system capacity in trade information and ICT, contributing to improved economic growth, employment opportunities, and a more inclusive and sustainable trade environment within the East African Community.
• Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The project is built upon connectivity, innovation, and infrastructure development to increase EAC’s trade potential.
• Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The project aims to reduce inequalities by enhancing transparency and regional accountability. The development of online tracking tools, capacity building, and training activities, along with the increased connectivity of East Africa, promotes inclusivity and reduces information disparities among trading partners.
• Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The project lies on the partnership between UNCTAD and the regional economic community, i.e., the East African Community Secretariat as well as the National Trade Facilitation Committees. The collaborative efforts involve filling data and connectivity gaps, recommending interoperability systems, and fostering cooperation for digital connectivity across the region.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• UNCTAD will use the logical framework achievement indicators, developed according to UNCTAD internal RBM requirements, to monitor project results during the project implementation period and beyond.
• UNCTAD will also conduct regular risk assessments and adapt project strategies accordingly.  
• Monitoring results will be submitted to AfDB quarterly. The bank will also conduct bi-annual monitoring supervision of the project. 

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