Enhancing Public Availability of Customs Information
In the Islamic Countries
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The case studies also make clear the crucial role that ICTs play in the new trade facilitation
landscape. The TFA makes explicit reference to the use of online solutions, but the case studies
show that there is real potential for low and middle income countries to take great strides ahead
by using the need to enhance the public availability of information as the impetus to move
towards digital platforms for trade transactions, such as virtual Single Windows. Technical
assistance is an important part of that equation, but as Morocco’s example shows, there is clear
potential for a country to move from being a recipient of technical assistance to being sought
after as a source of training and experience sharing. More broadly, international cooperation
through established mechanisms like RTAs, international organizations like WTO and WCO, or
regional partnerships with actors like the EU, can support efforts to improve trade information
availability. However, there needs to be buy-in domestically, and there is no “one size fits all”
approach. It is important to take account of local circumstances and institutions in designing
solutions, so there needs to be a balance between domestic impetus and international
engagement.
The material covered in this report has tended to be highly specific, given the large number of
case studies (desk-based and field-based) that were completed for it, and which form its core.
Given the nature of the COMCEC process, however, it is more appropriate to put forward some
core recommendations for the consideration of all member countries, rather than very targeted
suggestions for individual members. In that spirit, it is believed that the analysis in the report
supports the following recommendations:
1. Generalized Commitment to Transparency : It is difficult to move forward on the
public availability of Customs and trade-related information in an environment where
other government processes are only minimally transparent. Rather, successful
examples show that reducing informational trade costs typically goes hand in hand with
a broader commitment to transparent, participative governance. The form this takes
will of course vary from country to country, but the greater a government’s proven
commitment to transparency, the more likely it is that the whole trade community will
become positively involved in the process of managing public information availability.
2. Involvement of the Trade Community: The trade community consists of a wide range
of stakeholders, from producers and consumers, to shippers, freight forwarders, and
even financial institutions involved in trade finance, as well as Customs and other
border agencies. An important first step is creating a forum in which the whole
community can exchange views, and identify priority areas for action. An NTFC can
perform this role, but the nature and composition of that body will necessarily vary from
one country to another. In general, it is better to cast the net wide to ensure that all
stakeholders can feel a sense of ownership of reforms. A key part of involving the trade
community in trade facilitation is necessarily enhancing dialogue with the private
sector.
3. Use of Information Technology : Low and middle income countries have the
opportunity to “leapfrog” the traditional Single Window framework by opting for a
virtual Single Window. From an informational point of view, this approach results in an
online portal where all rules and regulations can easily be accessed, forms can be
downloaded and filled in, and necessary paperwork can be filed electronically, as well
as fees paid. Some level of digital infrastructure is required before such a system can
become reality, both in terms of user access to ICTs, but also the necessary legal
framework covering use of electronic documents and digital signatures. Nonetheless,