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

Synthesis report

The average expert’s years of experience in trade facilitation in the sample was 11 years
(140 years of cumulated trade facilitation experience), with a majority of the respondents
having acquired their experience in the South and Southeast Asian countries.

Figure IV.1 shows the average implementation time and the relative costs and
benefits (long-term savings) associated with each of the TFMs considered, as perceived
by the experts. In that figure, qualitative cost estimates are expressed in the form of an
index, calculated as the average of each respondent’s estimate divided by the average
setup costs estimates for all TF measures of that respondent. This index shows the
implementation cost of each measure relative to the average setup cost of all measures
considered, which may be very useful in assisting negotiators to prioritize the various
measures.¹³

Figure IV.1. Experts’ qualitative assessment of the relative cost,
benefits and time needed for implementing selected
trade facilitation measures

SNFPs : Single National Focal Points; NTFCs : National Trade Facilitation Committees.

Source: Duval (2006).

¹³ That index could be used in comparing estimates across experts, as comparing absolute estimates
across experts would not be appropriate. Because experts may have used different anchors (reference
points) when estimating whether costs for a particular measure were Very small [VS = 1], Small
[S = 2], Medium [M = 3], High [H = 4] or Very high [VH = 5], interpretation of the results must be done
in relative rather than absolute terms.

<<   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   >>

More intriguing information