FACILITATING INTRA-OIC TRADE:
Improving the Efficiency of the Customs Procedures in the OIC Member States
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Training and capacity building activities for the developing countries and LDCs are
financed by international financial institutions and organizations. For example,
according to the COMCEC Strategy adopted in 2012, COMCEC Coordination Office is
providing financing through COMCEC Project Funding, to the technical cooperation
and capacity building projects submitted by the OIC Member States in six cooperation
areas namely trade, transport, agriculture, finance and poverty alleviation. In the area of
trade, the objective is contributing to the development of the trading capacity of the
member states and enhancing intra-OIC trade. Improving the capacity of the customs
administrations is one of the expected outputs of the COMCEC Strategy which will
serve to the objective of the Strategy.
Donor countries are also providing technical and financial assistance. For example trade
facilitation is one of the important area of Aid for Trade. In this context, it is important
to note that the new WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, if entered into force, will
provide opportunity for the acceding developing countries and LDCs to get more
financing from the donor countries for capacity building to their Category
Commitments.
Public private partnerships (PPPs) also provide an important opportunity for the
governments for financing their customs reform programs. PPPs were used by some
countries in financing some of the reform programmes. For example Turkey has
modernized its 5 land border gates through build-operate-transfer model.
“To meet the passenger needs; food and beverage stores, banks, souvenir shops and duty-
free stores are serving. In this framework, Customs and Tourism Enterprises Co. Inc. (GTI)
GTI only operates the commercial areas, and any administrative processes and procedures
such as customs and passport checks are undertaken by the government institutions and
bodies. Under the scope of the reconstruction and renovation works, administrative and
commercial buildings, entry – exit control units, search hangars, contraband storages,
platforms, weigh bridges, social facilities, and truck park areas were constructed. X-ray
vehicle scanning systems, card pass systems, closed circuit camera and security systems
were applied. All of these investments were realized by own resources of GTI.” (GTI 2013)