The future plans regarding with Implementation of Trade Facilitation Agreement
The Future Plans regarding with the Implementation of Trade Facilitation Agreement.
The ministers concluded negotiations on the WTO agreement onTrade Facilitation Agreement (TFA or the Agreement) at the Ninth Ministerial Conference, held in Bali, Indonesia, during December 2013 and the Agreement will enter into force once two-thirds of the memberships notify the WTO of its acceptance.
The Union of Myanmar is conducting the negotiation of needs and priorities. The Government of Myanmar is preparing below activities by cooperation and coordination with the relevant ministries and organizations.
National Trade Facilitation Implementation Plan is conducted by UNCTAD by discussion with the relevant line ministries.
A national workshop and knowledge sharing seminar on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement was held in June 2015 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar organized by UNESCAP that stationed in Thailand and the technical experts from various ministries and departments participated in the workshop.
In order to implement Category C commitments in WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement that Myanmar has difficulties, the provision of technical assistance and support for capacity building offered by UNCTAD and Japan. And other development partners also offered their assistance and it is expected to implement successfully.
The establishment of National Trade Facilitation Committee will be presented and to be debated in and approved by Parliament.
Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) is aimed at providing support to developing and LDC Members implementing and benefiting from the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The Government of Myanmar is currently implementing the following activities;
The Trade Facilitation Agreement will fall to each developing and least developed Member State to determine the timing and entry into force of its commitments and must categorize each provision of the Agreement according to the following categories:
Category A: Provisions that the Member will implement by the time the Agreement enters into force (or in the case of a least-developed country Member within one year after entry into force);
Category B:Provisions that the Member will implement after a transitional period following the entry into force of the Agreement;
Category C:Provisions that the Member will implement on a date after a transitional period following the entry into force of the Agreement and requiring the acquisition of assistance and support for capacity building.
The Union of Myanmar will specifically identify and notify to WTO its category notification and assistance and support for capacity building which may take the form of technical, financial, or any other mutually agreed form of assistance provided will be requested through the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the World Trade Organization, Geneva.
The Modalities will be initiatedto negotiate with donor members to provide the extensive trade facilitation related assistance and support for implementation of the Agreement.
After categorizing each provision of the Agreement, the Government will notify other WTO members through the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the World Trade Organization, Geneva to benefit from special and differential treatment.
The assistance will be requested in compliance with the national trade development agenda.
When we asked for the remarks and comments by the Union of Myanmar Attorney General Office on the notification of Trade Facilitation Agreement to ratify(Ratification of Trade Facilitation Agreement – Acceptance of the protocol of Amendment), the Attorney Office replied with the remark that the Ministry of Commerce can proceed with the approval process on the Trade Facilitation Acceptance of Protocol at the Cabinet. The process was successful done and the Union Minister of the Ministry of Commerce presented the country's instrument of acceptance to Director- General of WTO on 10th Ministerial Conference, held in Nairobi, Kenya.
In 2015, Seychelles has ratified the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), becoming the 66th WTO member to do so. Seychelles submitted its instrument of acceptance to the WTO Secretariat on January.
The Ninth Ministerial Conference was held in Bali, Indonesia adopted Trade Facilitation Agreement, and the Agreement will enter into force once two-thirds of total 162 memberships notify the WTO of its acceptance and currently 70 members have notified their acceptance and the acceptance of notification from other 38 members is required to make the Agreement enter into force.
The ASEAN countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Lao, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei and Cambodia has already included in the 70 countries that have notified and the remaining countries Philippines and Indonesia are under notification process.