ECOWAS PROTOCOLS ON FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND PERSONS PRESENTED BY Dr M. SOLA AFOLABI

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