Expanding Agri-Trade in Central Asia through the Use of Electronic Certificates

Abstract

provided overall guidance. The brief is supported by the knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) for Modernizing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to Facilitate Trade (TA 9500), which is cofinanced by the Regional Cooperation and Integration Fund and the People's Republic of China (PRC) Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund. This brief describes the readiness of the members of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program to use electronic certificates, particularly electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto) developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). 1 The use of IPPC's ePhyto Solution reflects the thrust to facilitate trade through digital innovation and supports the CAREC agenda to modernize sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures for safer trade. The brief presents the outcomes of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) and CAREC Institute survey on laws, procedures, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in CAREC countries to implement electronic phytosanitary certification.

The Impact of COVID-19 Mobility Restrictions on Trade Facilitation at Borders in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Region

“…Digitalization offers seamless processing, speeds up border procedures, enhances transparency, and increases participation of countries in the global economy. For example, the implementation of electronic sanitary and phytosanitary certificates by Uzbekistan (Lazaro et al 2021) and the launching of the national single window in Tajikistan (WTO 2022) eased traffic congestions in borders and sped up information exchange. Improving connectivity within CAREC countries, with special focus on soft infrastructure, is also important.…”