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PRESS RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/331

TRADE POLICY REVIEW:

Tariff simplification and trade facilitation would promote economic efficiency

Since the last review in 2002, Malawi has made progress in reforming its trade policy regime in the areas of customs procedures, competition policy, government procurement, and privatization of some state-owned enterprises, according to a WTO Secretariat review on the trade policies and practices of Malawi.

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The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government, will be the basis for the Trade Policy Review (TPR) by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO.

The report highlights the need for a reform and simplification of the complex tariff structure together with its exemption schemes, something that would promote economic efficiency, reduce administrative costs, and possibly raise more tariff revenues. It also stresses the vital role of trade facilitation measures to help reduce Malawi’s high cost of transport.

Members of Trade Policy Review Body (TRRB) appreciated that Malawi has remained on the path of reform and has not retreated from its open policy stance despite the global financial crisis. They also noted the administrative difficulties foreign investors occasionally had in Malawi and encouraged Malawi to further improve the business environment in the country. It was also noted that Malawi needs to continue modernizing its trade-related legislation to align it with WTO obligations, as well as international best practices. Malawi informed Members of the TPRB that a comprehensive review of commercial and trade-related laws is underway. Members also reminded Malawi of its WTO notification obligations, to ensure the transparency of its trading regime.

The report, along with a policy statement by the Government of Malawi, was the basis for the second Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Malawi by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 9 and 11 of June 2010.

The following documents are available in MS Word format.

• Secretariat report
  > Contents and summary observations
  > Economic environment
  > Trade and investment regimes
  > Trade policies and practices by measure
  > Trade policies by sector
  > Aid for trade
  > Appendix tables
    
• Government report
    

Note  back to top

Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.

Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop.

The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.

Schedule of forthcoming reviews  back to top

Coming soon...

SEE ALSO    > Full list of previous TPRs

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