Comoros Economic Integration Acceleration Programme (Components 1 and 2a)

The Comoros Economic Integration Acceleration Programme (PAIE) is a European Union-funded initiative that supports the Union of the Comoros in strengthening its integration into regional and global markets while improving the country's business and investment climate.

UNCTAD contributes to:

• Component 1: Strengthening Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation

• Component 2a: Improving Legal Security and Business Formalization.

As a small island developing State, Comoros faces structural constraints affecting trade and investment. Customs procedures remain opaque, complex and only partially digitalized despite the deployment of SYDONIAWorld and the first phase of the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE). At the same time, business registration procedures remain fragmented across several institutions, creating barriers to entrepreneurship and formalization. These challenges persist as Comoros implements commitments arising from its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in August 2024, its participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the EU–Eastern and Southern Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Overall Objective of the Project

The project aims to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and decent job creation in the Comoros by modernizing customs procedures, facilitating trade, improving legal security and simplifying business formalization processes.

Component 1: Strengthening Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation

Activities

• Support trade facilitation reforms through assessments, best-practice guidance and customs-business dialogue.
• Digitalize key customs procedures, including customs litigation, exemptions, authorized economic operator (AEO) processes, currency declarations, post-clearance controls and investigations.
• Develop a national Customs Ethics and Integrity Charter.
• Expand the Guichet Unique du Commerce Extérieur (GUCE) to additional border agencies.
• Establish a National Trade Facilitation Committee and a digital Reform Tracker to monitor WTO, AfCFTA and EPA implementation.

Intended Outcomes

• More transparent, efficient and digitalized customs procedures.
• Reduced trade costs and administrative burdens for traders.
• Stronger customs governance through enhanced ethics, integrity and public-private dialogue.
• Improved monitoring of national trade commitments.
• By 2028, a target of more than 10% growth in customs revenue and a 20% reduction in customs clearance times compared to the 2025 baseline.

Component 2a: Improving Legal Security and Business Formalization

Activities

• Simplify business creation procedures in line with OHADA standards.
• Modernize and deploy the electronic one-stop shop for business creation (GUECEI/GENERIC).
• Enable interoperability between business registration, tax, social security and statistical systems.
• Strengthen the capacities of the National Investment Promotion Agency (ANPI) and the National Agency for Digital Development (ANADEN).
• Promote business formalization, with a focus on women and young entrepreneurs.

Intended Outcomes

• Simplified and harmonized business registration procedures.
• A fully operational and interconnected electronic one-stop shop for business creation.
• Improved legal security and a more attractive business environment.
• Increased business formalization and stronger institutional capacities.
• By 2028, a target of more than 20% growth in business registrations and a 30% reduction in business creation procedures, documentation, costs and processing times.

Link to the SDGs

The project contributes primarily to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and also supports:

• SDG 5 – Gender Equality;
• SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure;
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities;
• SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production;
• SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Project implementation is overseen by a Steering Committee (COPIL) chaired by the Minister of Economy and a Monitoring Committee chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy. Regular technical meetings between UNCTAD and the European Union Delegation support implementation and review progress.

Progress is measured through a results framework using indicators drawn from customs revenue data, GUCE and GUECEI statistics, Reform Tracker data, Time Release Studies, and national business registration databases.