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PRESS
RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/231
30 June 2004
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: BURKINA FASO
Trade liberalization and reforms have improved economic performance but they must continue
The liberalization of foreign trade, structural reform, and macroeconomic stabilization efforts have helped to enhance the economic environment in Burkina Faso and have led to higher growth in the last six years, according to a report on the trade policies and practices of Burkina Faso released on June 30 by the WTO Secretariat.
Burkina Faso remains among the poorest of the least developed
countries (LDCs). The report notes that the authorities have prioritized
the completion of the ongoing structural reforms to open the economy to
competition. Burkina Faso has fully implemented the WAEMU抯 (West
African Economic and Monetary Union) Common External Tariff since 1 January 2000 and the authorities attach great importance to regional
economic integration.
The work on cotton under the Doha Development Agenda could make a major
contribution to the efforts of cotton-producing LDCs like Burkina Faso,
for which cotton is the leading export and the principal cash crop for
farmers. Nevertheless, Burkina Faso will not be able to benefit fully
from access to markets at both the regional and multilateral level until
its economy is able to respond competitively to external demand.
Burkina Faso is a recipient of trade-related technical assistance (TRTA)
from the WTO, which focuses on development of human resources, building
of institutional capacity, support for the implementation of WTO
Agreements and for participation in the Doha Development Agenda. Burkina
Faso has also received TRTA under the JITAP (Joint Integrated Technical
Assistance Programme).
The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government of Burkina Faso, will be the basis for the second Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Burkina Faso by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 28 and 30 June 2004, which will take place at the same time as the review of Mali and Benin.
The following documents are available in MS Word format.
- Secretariat report
> Contents and summary observations (12 pages, 98KB)
> Economic environment (9 pages, 186KB)
> Trade policy regime: framework and objectives (19 pages, 177KB)
> Trade policies and practices by measure (23 pages, 366KB)
> Trade policies by sector (21 pages, 218KB)
> Appendix tables (14 pages, 676KB)
- Government report (19 pages,
112KB)
- Chairperson's concluding remarks
- Minutes
of the meeting are available approximately 6 weeks after the meeting.
Note back to top
Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries?trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO抯 full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRB抯 meetings are published shortly afterwards.
Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Gen鑦e 21 and through the on-line bookshop.
The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.
Schedule of forthcoming reviews back to top
Belize/Suriname: 12 and 14 July
2004
European Union: 21 and 23 July 2004
Republic of Korea: 15 and 17 September 2004