Date : October 2002

A draft Plan of Action to establish and maintain Fiji’s National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) was the main goal of the workshop on National Trade Facilitation Policy which ended on Thursday, 26^th September, at the Centra Pacific Hotel, Deuba.  The Plan of Action, likely to be prepared by the Ministry of Commerce, will have a core umbrella committee at the policy level comprising of the Government including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, and the private sector.

The Plan of Action will consider the structure of the NTFC, guidelines for the development of the National Trade Facilitation Programme by NTFC, a mechanism to ensure that national trade facilitation initiatives are consistent and appropriately paced with those at the regional and global levels.

An initiative of the Ministry of Commerce, Business Development and Investment, the workshop was funded by SPC with donor support, the European Union.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Taina Tagicakibau, Acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs & External Trade said that modern technology, increasing volumes of trade and falling tariff levels to all time lows have all combined to create a strong interest in trade facilitation, in addition to improving cross-border trade management and distribution of goods.

“As we are all too well aware, losses that businesses suffer through delays at boarders and complicated and unnecessary documentation requirements are capable of exceeding tariff costs.”

She added that the concept of trade facilitation is not new and that it is often defined as “the simplification and harmonization of international trade procedures”. Trade procedures are described as being “activities, practices and formalities involved in collecting, presenting, communicating and processing data required for the movement of goods in international trade. This definition relates to a wide range of activities such as import and export procedures; transport formalities; and payments, insurance, and other financial requirements.

“For Fiji, this workshop comes at an opportune time, considering our regional and international obligations by virtue of our membership with World Customs Organisation and World Trade Organisation, more importantly, Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA) and the entry into force of the Pacific Agreement (on) Closer Economic Relations (PACER) from 3^rd October,” said Mrs. Tagicakibau.

Participants discussed wide ranging issues including looking at relationships between global, regional and national trade facilitation policy initiatives including the trade facilitation aspects of current trade initiatives: the Cotonou Agreement for ACP countries, PICTA and PACER. 

Private sector views on current trade facilitation impediments were presented in the areas of fresh produce industry, trade and investment, commerce and industry and consumers.

Participants proposed practical measures to remove constraints to Trade and Passenger Facilitation with respect to a) Customs Import and Export Clearance, b) Quarantine and Health Requirements and Processes, c) Requirements for National Trade Standards and, d) Immigration and CAF requirement for Passenger Facilitation. 

Participants were from the Ministries of Commerce, Business Development and Investment, Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Health, Agriculture, Sugar and Land Resettlment, Home Affairs (Immigration), Customs Service and the Private Sector.

Resource personnel were sourced from SPC, UNCTAD and the Forum Secretariat.