Monrovia –Liberia, Monday, 26 September 2016, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development launched the Empowerment Program for Trade Facilitation to assist the trade community implement, in a coordinated manner, trade facilitation reforms, including the provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The benefits of the Empowerment Program for the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) are to improve the teamwork dynamics within the NTFC, launch a roadmap that seeks at mainstreaming Trade Facilitation beyond the WTO TFA, ensure knowledge transfer within a training-of-trainers approach and provide a sign of quality for donors and the private sector.

To this end, the Ministry intends improve the trade environment by putting in place a National Single Window and the Verification of Conformity, which will lead to the automation of trade transactions and the establishment of a standards regime to address sub-standard goods. As part of the WTO Post Accession Plan, the introduction of a trade portal is also a desirable objective of the WTO Steering Committee.

The Ministry and UNCTAD held a two-day workshop with the trade community to strengthen trade facilitation coordination, update the terms of reference and put in the legal framework to support the committee. Government ministries and agencies, as well as, the private sector, which includes the shipping lines, APM Terminals, members of the Liberia Business Association, Liberia Chamber of Commerce, the importers, manufacturers and the Liberia Brokers Association, participated in the workshop. Honorable Steve Marvie, Deputy Minister for Commerce, gave the opening remarks and made a presentation at the workshop. Mr. S. Henry Yaidoo, Coordinator, Single Project Implementation Unit coordinated the workshop. UNCTAD will conclude the mission with a number of bilaterals with the NPA, MFDP, LRA and MoCI.