On June 1, 2023, we presented the results of regulatory surveys of services trade policies in Africa and held a discussion between the World Bank Trade and research teams with the WTO, the African Private Sector, AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union, African governments and foreign investors in Africa.
Africa Trade Services Conference Pt.
Part 2 coming soon!
Trade in services -- a key path for development – is growing fast. Services:
- Generate more than two-thirds of global GDP
- Create the largest number of jobs
- Attract more than three-quarters of FDI
- Services tend to employ a higher share of women than other sectors
- Create business opportunities for small firms
Yet many countries retain multiple barriers on cross-border trade in services, investment, and consumer and labor mobility. Before such barriers are removed, they must be identified. That isn’t always easy: many are embedded in regulations that serve legitimate public policy goals.
To identify those barriers, a regulatory survey of services trade policies in African economies was carried out by the World Bank and WTO in 2020-2022, in conjunction with the AfCFTA Secretariat and with the financial support of GIZ, the EU, and ITC.
The survey is unprecedented in geographic coverage, sectoral scope, and depth. It covers 54 economies and 33 services subsectors and identifies 400 measures affecting trade. The extent to which each law or regulation impedes trade can be measured using the World Bank/WTO Services Trade Restrictiveness Index.
Related:
Blog about the surveys: Survey of laws helps African countries remove hurdles to trade in services
World Bank / WTO Services Trade Restrictiveness Index
Our work on AfCFTA
09:00-09:30 | Registration and breakfast |
09:30-10:00 | Opening
Mona Haddd Global Director for Trade, Investment and Competitiveness (EFI) Deon Filmer Director, Development Research Group (DECRG)
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Session 1: The World Bank–WTO surveys of services trade policy in Africa Chair: Ana Fernandes (World Bank) | |
10:00-10:30 | The importance of regulatory surveys for services trade negotiations and policy Roberto Echandi (World Bank)
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10:30-11:00 | WB-WTO surveys of services trade policy in African countries: methodology, findings Giulia Jonetzko (World Bank) & Joscelyn Magdeleine (World Trade Organization) |
11:00-11:15 | Q&A |
11:15-11:30 | Coffee Break |
11:30: 12:15 | Quantification of services trade policies in Africa: WB-WTO STRI methodology, results Laura Baiker (World Trade Organization) & Ingo Borchert (University of Sussex and World Bank) |
12:15-12:30 | Q&A |
12:30-13:30 | Lunch break |
Session 2: Views of African and private sector representatives Chair: Philip Schuler (World Bank) | |
13:30-15:00 |
Emily Mburu-Ndoria Director Trade in Services, AfCFTA Secretariat
Pauline Mcharo, Deputy Chief Negotiator for Kenya, KUSTIP negotiations
Michael Kottoh, Chief Strategist, AfroChampions Initiative Barbara Kotschwar, Executive Director, Visa Economic Empowerment Institute
Kati Suominen CEO, Nextrade Group, Technical Director of the Alliance for eTrade Development
Dennis Medvedev Director, IFC Economic Policy Research Department.
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15:00-15:15 | Q&A |
15:15-15:30 | Coffee break
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Session 3: Leveraging the STRI and Trade in Services Regulatory Audits for Domestic Reform, Policy Making and Research Chair: Aaditya Mattoo (World Bank) | |
15:30-16:30 | Practical uses for domestic reform and WBG operations Raymond Muhula, Vincent Palmade (World Bank)
How do FTAs interact with regulatory audits to enable gradual trade in services liberalization? Roberto Echandi (World Bank)
Leveraging STRI to benchmark international agreements on services: Introduction to the GTRI Ingo Borchert (University of Sussex and World Bank) & Juan Marchetti (World Trade Organization)
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16:30-17:00 | Q&A |
17:00-17:30 | Closing Daria Taglioni Research Manager, Trade and International Integration, Development Economics Sebastien Dessus Manager, Global Trade and Regional Integration Unit
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Event Details
- Location: World Bank Headquarters
- Date: June 1, 2023
- Time: 9:30 – 5:30 ET