World Bank2013-09-032013-09-032004-02-18https://hdl.handle.net/10986/15547The report envisages significant, medium-term benefits for Afghanistan and its neighbors from trade policy liberalization, from country-by-country reforms in trade logistics, and, especially within Afghanistan, from road rehabilitation and building a commercially-oriented enabling environment for trade, private investment and entrepreneurial development. The growth of regional and transit trade will boost private investment and growth in the short-to-medium term and help to realize the long-term vision for Afghanistan as a country moving toward middle-income status, based on sustainable development of its resources. Recommendations focused on Afghanistan include calls for priority action, with broad support from the international community, aimed at: improving security throughout the country both for persons and property; completing the main road rehabilitation, extending telephone and other telecommunication systems and ensuring that after reconstruction maintenance is undertaken to sustain roads in good condition; streamlining of border crossing procedures; reestablishing formal financial and insurance systems including development of a effective clearance and settlement system; implementing a national customs and transit system; eliminating restrictions on direct transit; removing internal checking-posts and en-route inspections; and increasing domestic trucking competition. To foster a strong, enabling environment for domestic and foreign trade, the study also advocates a set of immediate and short-term measures, including implementing a functioning payments system for international and domestic transfers though the formal banking system; making transit bonds and transport insurance available to shippers; redefining the role of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce to emphasize its mandate in trade and investment promotion relative to it role in trade regulation; supporting a larger role, distinct from that of government, for a private chamber of commerce to assist in export promotion; designing and implementing major capacity-building programs to develop skills and professionalism in banking, insurance and customs; and encouraging truckers and freight forwarders to establish national private industry organizations and to affiliate with international organizations.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO THE SEAADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURESAGRICULTURAL COMMODITIESAGRICULTURAL PRODUCEBILATERAL AGREEMENTBILATERAL TRADEBILATERAL TRADE FLOWSBORDER CROSSINGSBORDER POSTBORDER TRADEBOXESCARGOCARGO CONSOLIDATIONCOMMERCIAL BANKSCOMMODITIESCOMMODITYCOMMODITY PRICESCONCESSIONSCONSUMER GOODSCONTAINER TRAFFICCONTAINERIZATIONCONTAINERSCOUNTRY OF ORIGINCURRENCYCUSTOMSCUSTOMS ADMINISTRATIONCUSTOMS OFFICERSCUSTOMS OFFICIALSCUSTOMS PROCEDURESCUSTOMS SERVICESDISCRIMINATORY MEASURESDOMESTIC COMPETITIONECONOMIC ACTIVITYECONOMIC COOPERATIONECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC IMPACTEMPIRICAL EVIDENCEEMPLOYMENTEXCHANGE RATEEXPORT MARKETEXPORT MARKETSEXPORT PERFORMANCEEXPORT SECTOREXPORTERSEXPORTSFINANCIAL SECTORFINANCIAL SERVICESFOREIGN EXCHANGEFOREIGN EXCHANGE RESTRICTIONSFOREIGN INVESTMENTFOREIGN INVESTORSFOREIGN TRADEFORMAL TRADEFORMAL TRADE BARRIERSFREE TRADEFREE TRADE ZONEFREIGHTFREIGHT COSTSFREIGHT FORWARDERSFREIGHT FORWARDINGGLOBAL ECONOMYGLOBAL MARKETSGLOBAL TRADEGROWTH RATEGROWTH RATESHANDLINGHARMONIZATIONIMPORT DUTIESIMPORTED GOODSIMPORTSINCOMEINTERNATIONAL COMMUNITYINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSINTERNATIONAL STANDARDSINTERNATIONAL TRADEINTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTINTRA-REGIONAL TRADEINVESTMENT CLIMATEINVESTMENT REGIMESLANDLOCKED COUNTRIESLEGAL FRAMEWORKLIFTINGLOGISTIC SYSTEMSLOGISTICS COSTSMARKET ACCESSMEMBER COUNTRIESMULTILATERAL TRADENATIONAL ASSOCIATIONSNATIONAL LOGISTICSNATIONAL TREATMENTNEIGHBORING COUNTRIESNON-TARIFF BARRIERSNON-TARIFF MEASURESOPEN TRADEOPENNESSPOLICY REFORMSPOLICY REGIMESPORTSPREFERENTIAL TARIFFPREFERENTIAL TRADINGPRINCIPAL TRADING PARTNERSPRIVATE INVESTMENTPRIVATE INVESTORSPRIVATE SECTORPROPERTY RIGHTSPUBLIC POLICIESPUBLIC SECTORQUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONSRECIPROCAL BASISREGIONAL APPROACHREGIONAL COOPERATIONREGIONAL GROWTHREGIONAL INSTITUTIONSREGIONAL TRADEREGIONAL TRADE LIBERALIZATIONREGIONAL TRADING PARTNERSREGULATORY FRAMEWORKROAD CARGOROAD TRANSPORTSHIPMENTSSHIPPERSSHIPPINGSHIPPING COSTSSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTTARIFF BARRIERSTARIFF REDUCTIONSTAXATIONTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETRADE AGREEMENTTRADE AGREEMENTSTRADE BARRIERSTRADE COSTSTRADE EXPANSIONTRADE FACILITATIONTRADE FACILITATION ISSUESTRADE FLOWSTRADE INTEGRATIONTRADE LINKSTRADE LOGISTICSTRADE PERFORMANCETRADE POLICIESTRADE POLICYTRADE POLICY ISSUESTRADE REFORMSTRADE REGIMESTRADE RELATIONSTRADE ROUTESTRADING ARRANGEMENTTRADING SYSTEMTRANSACTION COSTSTRANSITTRANSIT ROUTESTRANSIT TIMESTRANSPORT COSTTRANSPORT COSTSTRANSPORT INSURANCETRANSPORT OPERATORSTRANSSHIPMENTTRUCKSWORLD ECONOMYWORLD MARKETSWORLD PRICESWORLD TRADEWORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS; ROAD REHABILITATION; TRADE LIBERALIZATION; ENABLING ENVIRONMENT; PRIVATE INVESTMENTS; ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROMOTION; BORDER CONTROL; INSURANCE SYSTEMS; FINANCIAL SYSTEMS; CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION MODERNIZATION PROGRAMS; PAYMENT SYSTEMS; TRANSPORT INSURANCE; EXPORT PROMOTION; CAPACITY BUILDINGWorld Bank10.1596/15547