Turkmenistan Simplifies Trade Procedures and Modernizes Customs Administration

From September 30 to October 2, two interconnected events of the International Trade Center (ITC) project "Turkmenistan: Trade Sustainability and Integration", funded by the European Union, were held in Ashgabat. An expert meeting to present the draft national roadmap, held on September 30, and a subsequent two-day training for employees of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, focused on improving cross-border procedures and modernizing customs administration.

During the expert meeting, a draft trade facilitation roadmap was presented, outlining strategic goals and specific measures to align the national legal framework and working practices in regulating foreign trade activities with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Representatives of ministries and agencies of Turkmenistan commented on the proposed document and noted the high importance of developing and adopting the roadmap as part of the country's ongoing efforts in connection with its potential accession to the WTO. The presentation of the CART.IS tool, a practical solution for analyzing data exchange between agencies responsible for regulating cross-border trade procedures in digital format, generated particular interest.

The work continued with a two-day training session for employees of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan. The program included an analysis of the provisions of the Trade Facilitation System (TFS), approaches to classifying trade facilitation measures by category and priority, and issues of digitalization and interagency cooperation. Participants completed practical exercises simulating real-life scenarios for regulating foreign economic activity, allowing them to focus on practical steps to improve the efficiency of customs clearance procedures.

The events confirmed the commitment of the country to developing foreign trade activities and further improving the business climate. Support from the European Union and expert assistance from the ITC facilitate the exchange of international best practices and the implementation of modern tools necessary for integration into the global trading system.

Source: THP