Supporting the Facility for Investment Climate Advisory Services

FIAS support to achieve trade reforms during FY15 included the launch and initial activities to implement a major global trade agreement through the Trade Facilitation Support Program (TFSP). The TFSP helps developing countries implement trade facilitation reforms and improve trade facilitation systems and practices thus leading to increased trade investments job creation and private sector competitiveness. A dedicated trust fund under the FIAS umbrella supports TFSP initiatives. The effort partners the World Bank Group with Australia Canada the European Union Norway Switzerland and the United States. The TFSP program has completed its first year in implementation. To date 45 countries have formally requested support. In FY15 the TFSP team completed validation assessment missions in 31 countries: Bangladesh Botswana Burundi Cabo Verde Costa Rica El Salvador Ethiopia Fiji Grenada Guatemala Honduras Jamaica Jordan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Madagascar Malawi Myanmar Nepal Nicaragua Pakistan Papua New Guinea Rwanda St. Kitts and Nevis Samoa São Tomé and Príncipe Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Tonga Ukraine Vanuatu and Zambia. Through TFSP 12 countries have begun reform implementation: Bangladesh Botswana Burundi Cambodia Jamaica Lao PDR Madagascar Malawi Nepal Rwanda Sri Lanka and Zambia. In addition the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Bank Group’s IFC signed a memorandum of understanding which will facilitate cooperation in the provision of assistance to the six Pacific Island members of the WTO.