Trade and Transport Facilitation: An Audit Methodology

Alleviating poverty through direct assistance and economic growth is an important objective of the World Bank. For this strategy to succeed, all potential impediments to the competitiveness of export industries must be tackled and reduced. Informational trade performance and efficiency are essential components of overall success. And in this new economy of instant communication, the main bottleneck is delivery, that is, transport and logistics. National frontiers impose a complex set of procedural requirements on incoming and outgoing consignments. Although the World Bank's investment in visible transport infrastructure to increase trade is significant, trade cannot advance without parallel, systematic improvement in the invisible infrastructure of border entry. The audit methodology set forth in this document offers an assessment of the difficulties, exposes most of the important customs facilitators, and assesses the skills needed for expert advice and action. This publication will be of interest to trade and transport policymakers, professional organizations, consultants, and anyone looking for answers to the transport challenges posed by the requirements of international trade.