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Press release: Diversification of production and trade is
essential for balanced development
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1. I should like to thank all participants in this very informative
first Trade Policy Review of Angola. The high level of the delegation
from Luanda, led by the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, was an
important sign of the seriousness with which Angola has treated the
review process. The reports by Angola and the Secretariat, and the
responses of the Angolan delegation to the searching questions by
Members and our Discussant, Mr Postma, have made a significant
contribution to knowledge of Angola's economy and of its trade and
development policies.
2. Members recognized that, following the end of the civil war in
2002, Angola had made great strides in stabilizing its economy and
promoting growth of GDP. However, the economy was still highly
dualistic, and many challenges remain in redeveloping the non-mineral
sectors and ensuring that the benefits of growth and development are
spread throughout the economy. Members welcomed the extensive and
ongoing updating and liberalization of Angola's trade and investment
legislation. However, they raised issues relating to transparency in
various areas of law and economic policies, including the use of oil
revenue; to the Government's capacity to implement the large volume of
new legislation; and to technical assistance required and made
available.
3. Members appreciated Angola's growing participation in the WTO
system, including the Doha Development Agenda. They encouraged Angola
to participate more actively in the goods and services negotiations,
including binding of tariffs at applied rates and presenting offers in
the field of services. Members also noted that, while currently Angola
applied MFN treatment to all suppliers, it was increasingly involved
in regional and inter-regional trade agreements. They discussed the
effects of such agreements on Angola's trade policies and practices,
and encouraged Angola to consider the balance that may be struck
between regional, bilateral and multilateral trading links.
4. Members recognized that, as part of its reconstruction process,
Angola was currently applying an import-substitution model of trade
policies, and stressed that this would not necessarily be a viable
model in the longer term. At the same time, they congratulated Angola
for progress in its Customs reform, including the forthcoming adoption
of WTO customs valuation methods. They welcomed the new tariff
structure and the reductions recently made, while recalling that there
was still considerable tariff escalation and that significant gaps
between bound and applied rates and a wide range of tariff-distorting
exemptions remained. They encouraged Angola to bring other duties and
charges into line with its WTO binding commitments, and emphasised the
need for greater transparency and openness in some areas, notably
Government and parastatal procurement, as incentives for greater
foreign investment and trade.
5. Members welcomed Angola's efforts to revitalize the non-mineral
based sectors of its economy, through programmes for agricultural and
manufacturing development and the increasing liberalization of many
services sectors, including finance and telecommunications.
6. Members sought clarification on a number of issues, including:
sustainable development strategies and the role of trade;
environmental issues; phasing out of preshipment inspection; penalty
tariffs; development of standards and technical regulations;
elimination of subsidies and price controls; new legislation regarding
intellectual property rights; policy regarding genetically modified
organisms (GMOs); prudential regulation in the financial sector; and
policies relating to energy-related, postal and courier, and transport
services.
7. Members expressed their appreciation for the responses to their
questions as provided by the Angolan delegation and looked forward to
further clarifications promised by the delegation.
8. In conclusion, Members welcome the significant progress made by
Angola in economic and trade policy reforms, and at the same time
recognize the many challenges faced by Angola in reconstructing its
economy. They encourage Angola to give trade a central role in its
development strategy, particularly in revitalizing the non-oil sectors
of the economy, and to avoid inward-looking trade policies as a long
term solution.
9. Members also welcome the requests made by Angola for technical
assistance on a bilateral basis, from the WTO, and in the context of
the Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical Assistance, and
urge the agencies concerned to respond urgently to these requests.
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