1. Alicia Stephen, OECS Secretariat
Trade Facilitation Committees:
A Perspective from the OECS
Alicia Stephen, OECS Secretariat

2. About the OECS: Came into being in June 1981 9 Member States
6 of which are WTO members
Functional cooperation and policy coordination
28 year history of cooperation
Total population of about 500K
Trade = 123% of GDP
Services account for over 80% GDP
High dependence on trade taxes

3. Drivers of the OECS TF Agenda
Domestic
Regionals
EPA
WTO
WTO negotiations
Regional integration - OECS EU, CSME
Bilateral trade agreements - EPA
National reform programmes – customs modernisation

4. The “Doing Business in the OECS” report also highlighted gaps and pointed to the need for reform.
Quantitative indicators on business regulations and their enforcement can now be compared with 169 economies around the world, including 9 other Caribbean economies and 34 small states.

6. enhanced competitiveness increased FDI
Perceived benefits
enhanced competitiveness
increased FDI
increased government collections
Why is trade facilitation important?
Enhance competitiveness
increase FDI
Increase government collections e.g. Reducing incidence of fraud

7. Trade Facilitation has been the purview of Customs Departments
Trade facilitation has been driven primarily and sometimes solely by customs. Concerned with revenue collection. Law enforcement

8. A multi-agency approach
Rationale for TF committees came out of the recognition that implementation of a future TF agreement would require a multi-agency approach – going beyond only Customs or Trade to include other government agencies – Attorney General’s Chambers, agriculture, Bureau of Standards, port authorities, ministries of finance, private sector incl shippers, brokers

9. Identify national focal points Establish six (6) national task forces
Establish OECS regional task force
Coming out of the completion of all needs assessments, the OECS decided that the strategy for pushing trade facilitation would include the establishment of national TFTF and a regional TFTF

10. Based on the Needs Assessments…
Country
Measure
Level of Compliance
TA/CB
Negotiating Position/
Instructions
Regional Approach
Consolidated Regional negotiating positions
Regional Implementation Programme
Regional TA/CB Programme

11. …some key functions were identified
Participation in Trade Facilitation Negotiations
Development & Implementation of TA/CB Programme
Implementation of future TF obligations

12. Monitor implementation incl. planning, negotiations with donors
Re-conduct assessment of implementation capacity & status of compliance periodically
Monitor implementation incl. planning, negotiations with donors
Undertake public awareness
Ensure coherence
As the initiative evolved, we developed/fleshed out the role and functions into Job (09)11
Examples of functions/role
Re-conduct assessment of implementation capacity and status of compliance
Monitor implementation incl. planning, negotiations with donors
Undertake public awareness
Ensure coherence – piecemeal approach to TF
Also see JOB(09)11

13. Getting “buy-in” link committee to the TFNA exercise
link to existing programmes
link negotiations-domestic situation
Link TFTF to the TFNA exercise
Linking to existing programmes
Link back to the negotiations
Practical approach – how does this affect you?
stakeholders must feel that their input is valued

14. Secure political mandate/authority
APPROVED!!
To ensure cooperation and collaboration with other agencies
To secure resources – HR, financial
Administrative issues – approval for travel, project proposals, policy recommendations. Ensure that committee will be “listened to”

15. Engage the private sector strategically
give stakeholders the information that is relevant
guard against overload!!!!
engagement of private sector strategically. Strategic engagement – give stakeholders the information that is relevant and guard against overload!!!!

16. in each agency nationally regionally Identify a “champion”
identify the right messenger – person in organization? Outside “expert”?
regionally

17. Pitfalls!! Informal group Too many meetings!!! No plan
Informal group – keeping the group informal vs giving it legitimacy, teeth! It needs to be taken seriously to have an impact. Is your chief technical officer, permanent Secretary or minister aware of the group and “sold” on its importance?
Too many meetings! meeting for the sake of meeting – there should be an issue: preparation for NGTF, review a domestic issue
No plan of action therefore the group cannot maintain momentum – also if there is no plan, how can you get buy in? What is the raison d’etre?
Working in isolation – TF is not the remit of trade or finance or customs solely
Having the wrong person lead – the “right” person to lead on TF in the task force/committee or in the agency is not necessarily the most senior official in that agency. The right mix of interest, technical competence and influence must be found.
Working in isolation
Having the “wrong” person lead

18. What have we achieved?
One committee active in OECS and two are being established
Draft TORs for committees developed
Greater participation in TF negotiations

19. Able to source technical assistance for TF
E.g. support for committees
Increased communication exchange among related parties (coherence)
OECS, CCLEC, CRNM/CARICOM

20. Thank You!