Improving Customs Transit Systems
In the Islamic Countries
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Table 38: TFI related to the involvement of the trade community and other interested parties
and government
Response 0 1 2
Public consultations between traders and other interested
parties and government
6.70% 40.00% 53.30%
General notice-and-comment framework procedures in place,
applicable to trade and border issues
28.90% 57.80% 13.30%
Are there established guidelines and procedures in place,
governing the public consultation process
55.6% 44.4%
Targeted stakeholders 20.00% 24.4 55.60%
Number of public consultations 91.10% 2.20% 6.70%
Drafts published prior to entry into force 44.50% 42.20% 13.30%
Public comments taken into account 28.90% 57.80% 13.30%
Source: WTO TFA indicators database
3.2.5.3 Fees and Charges
33.3% of MS publish the information for all fees and charges other than import and
export duties and other taxes within the purview of Article III of GATT 1994, fees and charges
that will be applied, the reason for such fees and charges, the responsible authority and when
and how payment is to be made in paper publications like Gazette, Bulletin, Customs Code, and
22.2% not on relevant agencies’ website (on a dedicated page). Regarding fees and charges for
answering inquiries and providing required forms and documents 33.3% of countries are
limited to the approximate cost of services rendered, while 63.2% of countries don't have fees
for these subjects. 60% of the OIC MS doesn't make a periodic review of fees and charges; as
opposed to 22.2% of MS which do a periodic review, but don’t adopt them to changed
circumstances. On the other side, in 40% of the member states, fees and charges may be applied
even without being published or prior to their publication, while in 33.3% of the member states
new or amended fees and charges enter into force immediately upon their publication and there
is no time period accorded between the publication of new or amended fees and charges and
their entry into force. Still, there is a large number of member states that have fees for Customs
services during normal working hours. The rules, regulations or procedures regarding penalty
disciplines against breaches of import, export or transit formalities are publicly available in
57.8% of the countries, but they did not clearly specify the persons that can be held responsible
for such breach. In 35.6% of the MS, there is assessment and applied penalties regardless of the
circumstances and the severity of the breach, while 64.4% of countries depend on penalties on
the facts and circumstances of the case and are commensurate with the degree and severity of
the breach. 11.1% of the countries do not provide any written explanation on the basis for