ECOWAS PROTOCOLS ON FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND PERSONS

PRESENTED BY

Dr M. SOLA AFOLABIBusiness Environment Adviser

Borderless AllianceBorderless Alliance Conference Lagos

February 26-28, 2014

OUTLINE

1- CONTEXT

2- REGIONAL INTEGRATION

3- PROTOCOLS

4- WAY FORWARD

5- CLOSING THOUGHTS

CONTEXT1975 - CREATION OF ECOWAS COMMUNITY

- COOPERATION

1993- - REVISED TREATY - INTEGRATION- SUPRANATIONALITY

2007- - TRANSFORMATION TO COMMISSION- REPLACE PROTOCOLS WITH SUPPLEMENTARY ACTS TO THE TREATY

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

MAJOR PROTOCOLS

1- ETLS

2- ISRT

3- FREE MOVEMENT

4- CET

ECOWAS TRADE LIBERALIZATION SCHEME

(ETLS)

• ELIMINATION OF TARRIF AND NON TARIF BARRIERS

REMOVAL OF CUSTOMS DUTIES

1975- RAW MATERIALS

1990-INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS

ETLS (Contd)

1- RULES OF ORIGIN-MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF APPROVAL

2- PROHIBITION OF PRODUCTS

3- STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS

4- CAPACITY BULDING FOR NATIONAL FOCAL POWERS

5- LACK OF INFORMATION

INTER STATE ROAD TRANSIT (ISRT)

FREE INTRA-REGIONAL MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND VEHICLES

MAJOR ISSUES1- TRANSIT FEES

2-NATIONAL GUARANTOR

3-ROAD BLOCKS AND “FACILITATION” PAYMENTS

4- NON CONFORMING VEHICLES

5- NON COMPLIANCE WITH TRANSIT PROCEDURES

ECOWAS REGIONAL CUSTOMS CONNECTIVITY PROJECT

(ALISA)FEATURES

- REPLACE NATIONAL GUARANTOR WITH …….

- ONE-POINT PAYMENT OF BOND AND TRANSIT FEES

- SCAN, SEAL AND TRACK VEHICLES AND GOODS

- CENTRAL DATABASE OF TRANSIT DECLARATIONS

- ELIMINATION OF BILATERAL DATA EXCHANGE PROTOCOLS

ECOWAS COMMON EXTERNAL TARRIF (CET)

TARRIF BANDS

1- ESSENTIAL SOCIAL GOODS…………...0%, 85 TARIF LINES

2- GOODS OF PRIMARY NECESSITY…….5%, 2146 LINES

3-INPUT AND INTERMEDIATE GOODS……10%, 1373 LINES

4-FINAL CONSUMPTION GOODS……………20%, 2165 LINES

5- SPECIFIC GOODS ……………………...……35%,130 LINES

MAJOR ISSUES

1- OTHER TAXES AND LEVIES

2-SMUGGLING

3-CLASSIFICATION-INADVERTENT OR DELIBERATE (MALICIOUS)

ECOWAS FREE MOVEMENT PROTOCOL

SCOPE

- RIGHT OF ENTRY

- RIGHT OF RESIDENCE

- RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT

MAJOR ISSUES. COMPLIANCE WITH PROTOCOL

RECIPROCITY

REDRESSE-DISCUSSION

ARBITRATION, COURT OF JUSTICE

WAY FORWARD

ACCELERATED IMPLENTATION OF PROTOCOLS AND ACTS. MONITORING OF PROTOCOLS

PUBLIC PRIVATE ADVOCACY PLATFORM

JOIN THE BORDERLESS ALLIANCE

CLOSING THOUGHTS

FROM COOPERATION TO A WEST AFRICAN UNION

WORLD CLASS TEXTS

PROBLEM IS IMPLEMENTATION

WAKE UP TO ACTIVATE THE DREAM

THANK YOU