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Making regional integration work : company perspectives on non-tariff measures in Asia-Pacific
Get PDFMultilateral, plurilateral, unilateral, as well as regional integration efforts in the Asia-Pacific have brought down tariffs, increased connectivity, helped achieve regulatory harmonization and promoted cooperation across ESCAP members, spurring both intra- and extra-regional trade. Yet, many non-tariff obstacles to trade persist, posing several challenges to exporters and importers in the region.
Business survey results show that NTMs impact exporters in the Asia-Pacific significantly, with 55% of all interviewed firms reporting them as burdensome. NTMs applied by regional trade partners comprise exactly half (50%) of all reported NTMs. Most NTMs perceived burdensome by exporters are foreign regulations (81%) rather than domestic regulations (19%). Following a global trend, NTM surveys in the Asia-Pacific countries show that technical NTMs such as conformity assessments and technical requirements applied by partner countries, and procedural obstacles (POs) at home, are among the main hurdles for traders in the region.
Procedural obstacles experienced by exporters in their home country are the primary reason why NTMs are found to be burdensome. The most common procedural obstacles include time delays, the need to make informal payments or high fees and charges. Other procedural obstacles faced in the domestic market include lack of accreditation, lack of appropriate testing facilities, and difficulties obtaining trade and NTM-related information.
The report highlights that market access begins at home. Trade regulations are deemed burdensome by exporters in the Asia-Pacific region primarily because of domestic procedural obstacles. Streamlining trade procedures at home is key to enabling exporters to access export markets. We also see that is that a higher implementation rate of trade facilitation measures, especially in the form of paperless trade, correlates with a fewer concerns vis-a-vis NTMs and higher export shares.</p
Asia-Pacific sustainable development journal. Vol. 30, No. 2, November 2023
No full textThe Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal, Vol. 30, No. 2, November 2023 focuses on regional sustainable development cooperation in Central Asian countries. This issue, produced in collaboration with the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute, includes:
- Thematic Section: Five papers on regional cooperation, covering topics like low-carbon energy development, trade, transport, and digital connectivity.
- Survey Paper: Focused on the challenges and opportunities related to transport, energy, and ICT connectivity in the nine landlocked developing countries of North and Central Asia.
- Regular Entries: Includes two submitted papers, one policymakers’ corner paper, one early career research paper, and a book review.</p
Evaluation of the project on E-Commerce Capacity Building for Women-led SMEs in South Asia
Get PDFCommissioned by South and South-West Asia Office, ESCAPESCAP and EIF (Enhanced Integrated Framework) collaborated on a project called "E-Commerce Capacity Building for Women-led SMEs in South Asia" to enhance women entrepreneurs’ access to e-commerce and promote their economic empowerment in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) of South Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. The project began in June 2019 and concluded in March 2023. The specific objective was to support a minimum of 100 women entrepreneurs in registering and uploading their company and product profiles onto e-commerce platforms, thereby facilitating the growth of their businesses. The project aim was to enhance the knowledge and capacity of women entrepreneurs in the application of e-commerce platforms to expand their business, markets and participate in local, regional and global supply chains.Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and ESCA
Regulatory sandbox guideline on central bank digital currency for the Maldives Monetary Authority
Get PDFThis Guideline on Regulatory Sandbox for Central Bank and Digital Currency (CBDC) has been developed for the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).1 The primary objective of the guideline is to provide knowledge and capacity to the MMA and its partnered businesses and institutions regulated by the MMA in exploring the possibilities of implementing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in a controlled production environment.
This Guideline builds on earlier work of this project including the National Study on Central Bank Digital Currency in the Maldives;2 the National Stakeholder Survey on Maldives capability to Implement Central Bank Digital Currency;3 and the Regulatory Sandbox Framework for CBDC and FinTech in the Maldives.4 By creating a Regulatory Sandbox, the MMA seeks to provide a conducive and contained space for experimentation with digital technologies, specifically CBDC.
The key sections of the Guideline paper focus on risk management and acknowledge, that a risk-free environment is unattainable in innovation. The Regulatory Sandbox aims to create a controlled space that promotes CBDC, while effectively mitigating risks associated with innovative solutions. The Guideline emphasizes achieving a balance between promoting experimentation and ensuring risk mitigation.
The Guideline outlines the Regulatory Sandbox requirements for the MMA, encompassing general requirements for entry, eligibility criteria, and the application process. Key components include legal compliance, financial stability, innovation, technology expertise, and a commitment to regulatory obligations. Moreover, the document details the application and evaluation processes, highlighting the MMA's considerations of factors such as fitness, eligibility criteria, and other relevant criteria. It delineates stages, from the application stage to the evaluation stage, allowing for adjustments during the exploratory nature of the regulatory sandbox approach.
Furthermore, the Guideline illustrates the conditions for the issuance of permits, extension, variation, or withdrawal from a Regulatory Sandbox. It also outlines the circumstances under which the MMA may suspend or revoke a Regulatory Sandbox permit, with corresponding actions that Regulatory Sandbox participants must take in case of revocation. Lastly, the Guideline addresses the importance of reporting throughout the Regulatory Sandbox period, detailing the submission of interim and final reports, including statistical information, key outcomes, risk management measures, and lessons learned. The MMA's role in monitoring and the Regulatory Sandbox participant's responsibilities are clearly defined.
This technical Guideline serves as a guiding framework, ensuring that experimentation with CBDC within the Regulatory Sandbox aligns with the MMA's objectives, promotes innovation, and safeguards the interests of all stakeholders involved.</p
Presentation. International Seminar on Prospects for the development of creative industries: the path to success
No full textAgenda. International Seminar on Prospects for the development of creative industries: the path to success
No full textInformation notice. 2023 SPECA Economic Forum, “Transforming the SPECA Region into a Connectivity Hub with Global Outreach”, and Eighteenth session of the SPECA Governing Council
No full textThe Governing Council of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) will hold its 18th session on 23 November 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan, the SPECA participating States (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) will discuss the outcomes of 2023 SPECA Economic Forum and adopt its conclusions and recommendations.This Information notice provides some logistical details regarding the eighteenth session of the SPECA Governing Council, 2023 SPECA Economic Forum and their side events jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the present Chair country of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan is acting on behalf of the Government of Azerbaijan.
The sessions of the SPECA Working Group on Trade and the SPECA Working Group on Gender and SDGs will take place within the frame of 2023 SPECA Week on 20 November 2023
Presentation. Kadyrovs’ Hydraulic Pump. UNECE B2B conference on Innovation for the Circular Economy: Bridging Start-Ups and Corporations
No full textPresentation. УПРОЩЕНИЕ ПРОЦЕДУР ТОРГОВЛИ И ЦИФРОВАЯ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ МУЛЬТИМОДАЛЬНОГО ОБМЕНА ДАННЫМИ И ДОКУМЕНТАМИ С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ СТАНДАРТОВ ООН. Eighteenth session of the SPECA Working Group on Trade. Eighteenth session of the SPECA Working Group on Trade
No full textItem 4: Digitilization of supply chain data exchange in the Trans-Caspian Corrido