CAREC pursues concrete policy actions to support countries' efforts to join the World Trade Organization and increase openness in the region to stimulate growth and development.

SPOTLIGHT

Central Asia Regional Cooperation in Trade, Transport, and Transit

The technical assistance enhances the analytical underpinnings of regional cooperation in the areas of trade, transport, and transit. Two outputs are an Asian Development Bank report on regional cooperation in the areas of trade, transport, and transit; and a chapter on these areas for the United Nations Development Programme report on regional cooperation for human development and security in the region.

Trade Expansion through Regional Cooperation

Trade is critical to all CAREC economies. As landlocked nations rich in natural and other resources the ability to efficiently interact with world markets is critical to achieve sustainable economic growth.

CAREC's Trade Policy Strategic Action Plan seeks to achieve trade expansion through regional cooperation. The main goals are

• increasing trade openness to stimulate stronger growth and development, contributing to poverty reduction;
• achieving World Trade Organization membership for all countries; and
• capacity building in the area of trade and trade policy.

 

The Action Plan will enable trade and improve the investment climate across Central Asia by simplifying and liberalizing national trade regimes within a reasonable timeframe. Specific initiatives include uniform application of value-added and excise taxes on domestically produced and imported goods; cutting tariffs; abolishing quantitative restrictions; and reducing barriers to transit and border trade.

The Action Plan builds on a series of reports developed by the Trade Policy Coordinating Committee. These include:

• Trade Taxes in CAREC Countries
• Quantitative Restrictions on Trade
• Cross-Border Trade within the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation
• Afghanistan's Trade with CAREC Neighbors: Evidence from Surveys of Border Crossing Points in Hairatan and Sher Khan Bandar

 

 

© Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute 2009