Establishing Well Functioning National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFBs)
In the OIC Member States
49
Rail Roads of the Ministry of Transport; Baku Commercial Sea Port MT; the Sanitary Quarantine
Service, Ministry of Health; the Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture; the
Ministry of Agriculture, Quarantine Service; the Commander (lieutenant colonel), special services;
and the National Secretary of Azerbaijan.
The participation of the private sector is through the following associations: the Caspian Shipping
Company MT; the Association of International Road Transport of Azerbaijan (ABAD); and the
transport and forwarding company, Eltrans.
Its main objective is the promotion and development of transport and trade in Azerbaijan.
The sources of funding are not specifically mentioned and there is no allocated budget.
Analysis
The structure of AZERPRO includes 22 members from nine government agencies (National TRACECA
Commission; ministries of transport, foreign affairs, economic development, health, agriculture;
Customs; border control; special unit) and business sector (associations of road carriers and freight
forwarders). It is headed by the Secretary of the National TRACECA Commission).
Some of the achievements of this NTFB are: the Preparation of Transit Strategy of Azerbaijan; the
introduction of border and customs checkpoints in Azerbaijan based on the "Single Window and One
Stop" principle; and the creation of logistics centres in the new (under construction) Baku
International Sea Trade Port.
Since the establishment of AZERPRO, quarterly meetings have been held with the participation of
senior experts on transport, economics, Customs, border control, agriculture, health and Directors of
the projects entitled “Harmonization of Border Crossing Rules” and “Common Legal Framework for
Transit Shipments”.
Within the main achievement of Azerbaijan NTFB can be highlighted the: "Transit Strategy of
Azerbaijan Republic", implementation of the principle of "Single Window" at the border and Customs
checkpoints in Azerbaijan, series of "round tables" conduction with the interested public and private
entities on the establishment of logistics centers, the results of which were presented as proposals to
the Ministry of Transport.
3.4.4. Bangladesh
Description
Bangladesh has two NTFB, a Working Group on Trade Facilitation and Customs Valuation (2007);
and National Trade Facilitation Committee (2013). The first group is better established while the
second one is still on pilot phase. Though its groups are recent, they have been active and more
information regarding them can be found.
The public participants of the both NTFBs are the following agencies; National Board of Revenue,
Dhaka (Convener); Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Dhaka; Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Civil
Aviation and Tourism, Dhaka; Representative, Bangladesh Land Port Authority, Dhaka;