AN EXPLORATION OF THE NEED FOR AND COST OF SELECTED TRADE FACILITATION MEASURES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WTO NEGOTIATIONS

26 An exploration of the need for and cost of selected trade facilitation measures in Asia and the Pacific in the context of the WTO negotiations

Table III.1. Perceived level of implementation of GATT Articles V, VIII and X
by the private sector in selected countries

(7: Strongly agree; 6: Agree; 5: Slightly agree; 4: No opinion;

3: Slightly disagree; 2: Disagree; 1: Strongly disagree)

	Overall Average	Bangladesh	China	India	Indonesia	Nepal

Articles VIII & X (Transparency and Fees & Formalities)
Relevant trade and customs procedures and regulations are publicly available and easily accessible	4.8	3.4	5.1	5.4	4.9	5.3
Computerization and automation of customs and trade procedures have noticeably reduced average time of clearance	4.7	4.2	5.8	5.0	5.6	3.0
Penalties and fines for minor breaches of customs regulation (e.g., due to typing mistakes) are small and reasonable	4.4	3.3	5.6	4.3	4.3	4.3
Information about changes in regulations and procedures are made available promptly and conveniently to the public	4.3	3.1	4.5	4.9	3.6	5.3
It is easy to submit required trade documentation to trade/customs authorities for approval	4.3	3.1	3.9	4.3	5.4	5.0
A formal and effective private sector consultation mechanism exists, which allows traders to comment on proposed changes to regulations and procedures before they are issued and implemented.	4.0	3.7	4.6	4.0	3.4	4.3
On average, fees and charges levied on export and import are reasonable (i.e., are limited to the cost of services rendered by the authorities)	4.0	3.4	4.3	4.0	3.3	5.0
An independent system to appeal trade and/or customs authorities’ decisions is available and operates effectively	3.9	2.6	3.6	4.4	4.2	4.6