ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica will stage a two day national workshop on the implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) in the OECS Economic Union.

The April 7-8 meeting is being held in collaboration with the Saint Lucia-based OECS Commission, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The TFA was concluded at the 9th Ministerial Conference in December 2013, in Indonesia and outlines a set of trade-related measures for its membership which are geared at improving the efficiency, expediency and transparency in Customs procedures and promoting cooperation amongst Customs Officials, other border control agencies and the private sector.

The organisers said that the National Trade Facilitation Workshop will seek to improve participants understanding and appreciation of the TFA and its relevance to economic growth and development in Dominica and by extension the OECS Economic Union.

“Participants will also discuss Dominica’s efforts toward implementing the agreement and more specifically developing a national strategy and action plan and proposal for those measures which will require time, resources and technical assistance in order to operationalize.

“As an active member of the OECS, Dominica’s strategy will form part of a wider Regional strategy which will serve to enhance trade facilitation in the OECS Economic Union and assist in facilitating the operations of the OECS Customs Union and Free Circulation of Goods Regime,” according to the Ministry of Trade, Energy and Employment.

“It is expected that this national workshop will provide an opportunity for public and private sector stakeholders to better understand Dominica’s obligations in the multilateral trading arena as well as the opportunities for increased and improve trade, investment, “Doing Business” status and economic activity to be derived from implementing the agreement,” it added.