Establishing Well Functioning National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFBs)
In the OIC Member States
47
2007 Bangladesh Working group on trade facilitation customs valuation
Kyrgyz Republic National council on trade and transport support
Malaysia Focus group on trading across borders
2008 Bahrain national trade facilitation committees
2009 Niger National committee on trade facilitations
Nigeria WTO negotiations on trade facilitation support group
Senegal National sub-committee on trade facilitation
Sudan National trade facilitation committee
2011 Jordan The national committee for transport and trade facilitation
2013 Bangladesh National trade facilitation committee
Sierra Leone National trade facilitation committee
Source: Author
3.4. OIC Member States with Not Functioning NTFBs or Similar Mechanisms
3.4.1. Afghanistan
Description
The official name of the NTFB in Afghanistan is Afghanistan Pro-Committee to Promote Efficient
Trade, Transit and Transport Procedures and Methods (AFPRO). It was established in 2006 to enable
the private sector to head Afghanistan's development within a competitive market-based economy in
which the Government is the economic policy-maker and regulator. The NTFB ceased its activities in
January 2009.
The private sector participates in AFPRO through national traders and the public sector is
represented by the President's Office; The High Council of Ministers; the Secretary's Office; the
Ministry of Economy and Finance; the Ministry of Mines; the Ministry of Energy and Water; the
Ministry of Communication; the Ministry of Agriculture; the Ministry of Environment; and the Central
Bank of Afghanistan.
The main objectives of Afghanistan's NTFB are the facilitation, regulation, and development of trade
policies.
Funding comes from technical assistance and from UNCTAD and the World Bank.
Analysis
The greatest obstacles in Afghanistan are:
 High transit costs, high trade transaction costs and long truck and rail journey times;
 Lack of sufficient government commitment;