COMCEC Trade Outlook 2017
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Table 7: OIC Countries with the Lowest LPI Scores According to the LPI 2016
Country
2012 LPI 2014 LPI 2016 LPI
Ranking Score Ranking Score Ranking Score
Gabon 131 2.30 150 2.20 143 2.19
Chad 152 2.03 113 2.53 145 2.16
Kyrgyz Republic 130 2.35 149 2.21 146 2.16
Cameroon 106 2.53 142 2.30 148 2.15
Iraq 145 2.16 141 2.30 149 2.15
Afghanistan 135 2.30 158 2.07 150 2.14
Tajikistan 136 2.28 114 2.53 153 2.06
Sierra Leone 150 2.08 N.A. N.A. 155 2.03
Mauritania 127 2.40 148 2.23 157 1.87
Somalia N.A. N.A. 160 1.77 158 1.75
Source: World Bank
The Enabling Trade Index produced byWorld Economic Forumand the Global Alliance for Trade
Facilitation is another indicator, which measures the performance of countries in enabling trade.
According to this measure, performance of some of the OIC countries19 is below average while
some OIC countries such as UAE, Malaysia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Oman performed better.
Box 3: WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation
One of the main outcomes of the Doha Development Round is the adoption of Bali Package which
comprises 10 Ministerial decisions/declarations on trade facilitation, development and agriculture.
Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) mainly brings measures to eliminate barriers against
international through streamlining and simplification of customs procedures. The Agreement has
two sections which include provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods
and differential treatment provisions for developing and least-developed countries respectively.
In regards to differential treatment, TFA enables developing and least-developed countries to select
three categories for provisions namely A, B and C based on their readiness for implementation. WTO
also aims to provide technical assistance and capacity building programs to developing and least-
developed countries through collaboration with donor Member States to facilitate implementation
of the Agreement. Some of the important arrangements of the Agreement are as follows:
Publication and Availability of Information: Agreement requests each Member States to publish
information in a non-discriminatory and easily accessible manner related to Customs Procedures
such as applied rates of duties/taxes, laws, regulations and administrative rulings, import/export
restrictions, appeal procedures, rules of classifications etc.
Advance Rulings: Member States are expected to issue advance ruling, which in brief is a written
decision provided by Customs Authority to an applicant prior to importation of goods, in a
reasonable, time bound manner while containing all necessary information.
19 Please see Appendix Table 7