The need for digital solutions to facilitate trade and simplify trade regimes to incorporate informal traders into the formal trading system was high on the agenda at last week’s 2020 tralac Annual Conference.
During a panel discussion focusing on possible interventions, Jason Blackman of DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa emphasised the importance of Single Window capabilities and the digitalisation of customs and border controls and procedures. He said electronic documentation to facilitate smooth goods clearance processes was critical.
This was a recurring theme during the conference - underscored by the impact of Covid-19.
For the road transport industry, the impact of Covid has been particularly damaging. Fragmentation of regulatory regimes, lack of harmonised standards and authorisation systems, and lack of coordination in law enforcement have wreaked havoc.
“The implementation of short- and long-term interventions to address the impact of border closures, bottlenecks and logistical challenges on cross-border trade in Africa that have resulted from Covid is critical,” said Etiyel Chibira of the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency.
Mena Hassan from the WTO Secretariat believes the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in Africa would help to address the trade facilitation issues that have resulted from the pandemic.
A key point, she said, was that African countries had already undertaken commitments (self-designated) that were key to addressing many of the continent’s trade facilitation challenges – but that implementation was still very low.
