The Trade Facilitation Portal provides online step by step descriptions of import, export and transit procedures from the trader's point of view. It helps a country comply with Art. 1 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which entered into force in February 2018 (after Rwanda's ratification).
The Trade Facilitation Portal is a key tool for transparency, the cornerstone of all the TFA's provisions. For traders, it gives a detailed picture of what needs to be done to comply with national regulations. For policymakers, it helps with the identification of all unnecessary redundancies and administrative bottlenecks.
Thanks to the support of UNCTAD's partners, several Trade Facilitation Portals are currently being implemented in Africa (Benin, Burundi, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda), under the auspices of NTFCs who benefit from a shared vision of trade procedures between the public institutions and the private sector.
The side event will enable several representatives of NTFCs to present their respective Trade Facilitation Portals and share how they have helped them analyse trade-related procedures and identify opportunities for simplification.
Speakers:
Ms. Juliet Wangechi Muchiri, Kenya Trade Network AgencySystems Analyst, Trade Portal Coordinator
Ms. Jane Musyoki, Kenya Trade Network Agency Senior E-Portal and Value Added Services Officer
Mr. Moriba Camara, Ministry of Trade, Head of It Department, Trade Portal Coordinator, Mali
Mr. David Geofrey, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Trade Officer - Multilateral Trade Section Tanzania
Mr. Richard Okello Okot, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Assistant Commissioner External Trade, Trade Portal Coordinator Uganda
Mrs Safari Vincent, Ministry of Trade and IndustryCoordinator, National Trade Facilitation Committee Rwanda