Members of the Trade Facilitation Task Force of Saint Lucia met for their first team-building activity on March 19, 2009. The activity received support from the OECS Secretariat and UNCTAD and was organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, the coordinating agency for the trade facilitation task force.

The OECS Secretariat has undertaken to promote the creation of national Trade Facilitation Task Forces as coordinating mechanisms for all matters related to trade facilitation. This includes capacity building for the task force members, support for participation in the WTO negotiations and technical assistance in priority areas identified by task force members and trade officials.

 

Saint Lucia’s Trade Facilitation Task Force was formally established on November 6, 2008 by cabinet decision and comprises private sector, statutory bodies and public sector representatives. The Task Force has mainly been concerned with the WTO negotiations and raising awareness among public and private sector agencies. Its first major activity was the conduct of a needs assessment on Trade Facilitation with the assistance of the OECS Secretariat, WTO Secretariat, UNCTAD and HM Revenue and Customs.

The half day activity included a presentation on the functions and the current and proposed reforms of the customs department, and a tour of the facilities at Port Castries. Participants were able to gain a better understanding of the operations of two key agencies involved in the movement of goods in and out of Saint Lucia and their successes and challenges on the road to increasing their efficiency.

Trade facilitation refers to the procedures and controls governing the movement of goods across national borders e.g. customs procedures, policies and legislation. In the WTO, the negotiations in the area aim to clarify and improve the rules related to the movement of goods across borders and to make the procedures related to the import and export of goods simpler and more transparent.