WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/IF/18
3 March 1998
(98-0818)
Committee on Trade and Development
Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical AssistanceOriginal:  English
TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS-ASSESSMENT
PRESENTED BY EQUATORIAL GUINEA
INTEGRATED RESPONSES BY IMF, ITC, UNCTAD,
UNDP, WORLD BANK AND WTO1
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
                                                     
1Published pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 5 (e) of the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical Assistance (WT/LDC/HL/1/Rev.1).WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 2
TRADE-RELATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDS-ASSESSMENT
PRESENTED BY EQUATORIAL GUINEA
A. TRADE POLICY
(a) What are the sectors that you believe have unexploited or underexploited export
potential?
The main sectors with considerable unexploited potential are:  mining, agriculture and
tourism, among others.
The underexploited ones include:  forestry, livestock, petroleum, agriculture and fisheries.
(b) Could you please define your country's pers pective of the reasons for any changes in the
structure and direction of exports and imports?
We have no information available in this regard.
(c) What have been the objectives of trade po licy in the most recent period, compared to,
say, two decades ago?
As regards trade policy objectives in comparison with 20 years ago, we previously had a
centrally-planned economy, while now we have a free market economy.
(d) What are the Ministries in charge of trade policy matters, including formulation,
implementation, enforcement and monitoring?  How is coordination made?  What are the
respective roles of the relevant Ministries (give particular attention to tariff policies and otherpolicies directly affecting exports and imports of goods and services)?
The main Ministries in charge of trade policy matters are:  the Ministry of Economy and
Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Cooperation.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation plays a coordinating role and acts
as liaison between the outside world and the particular line ministries.  The Ministry of Planning andEconomic Development draws up national development plans by sector, while the Ministry for
Economy and Finance is responsible for implementing tariff and other import-related policies, and for
goods and services exports.
(e) How are the private sector and academic in stitutions associated with the formulation
and conduct of trade policy?
The private sector and universities play no direct part.  The private sector is still rather
rudimentary and university institutions are still in their infancy.
(f) What are the institutions in your country th at can play a role in implementation of a
trade-related project at the local level?  State their respective roles.
In addition to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which is the body responsible for
implementing the country's trade policy, trade services are also provided by the Directorate-General
for Trade, mayors' and local government offices.  The Directorate-General for Trade is responsible for
implementing the trade policy drawn up by the Ministry and issues instructions to the bodies
concerned.WT/COMTD/IF/18
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(g) What are the main laws and regulations de aling with trade policy - on exports and
imports?  Please provide a short description of each.
Equatorial Guinea belongs to the Central African Customs and Economic Union (CACEU).
The main trade-related laws and regulations are t hose that are applied in all the countries of the
Union, such as:  the CACEU customs tariffs, set out in Regulation 7/65-UDEAC-36 dated
14 December 1965 and Regulation 4/87-UDEAC-1938 dated 18 December 1987 of the Council ofHeads of State of the CACEU.  Among other things, these documents show the external tariff in the
import duties column.
(h) What are the main instruments of trade policy - on exports and imports?  Please
elaborate (e.g. on import restrictions, the questions might be:  on what products are there any
import bans; on what products are there quantitative import restrictions;  licensing
requirements, etc.;  what is the highest tariff ra te currently in use;  are there any excise taxes,
other "domestic" taxes that are applied differenti ally to imported goods, or to goods of a type
that are principally imported?).
There are no import restrictions in Equatorial Guinea, except for products declared dangerous
by international agencies.  The highest tariff rate currently in use is 145 per cent, levied on perfumery;
there is also additional CACEU duties.
(i) In case you are a WTO Member or are in the process of acceding, how is your country
preparing itself to comply  with the WTO Agreements?
Equatorial Guinea is not yet a member of the WTO;  arrangements are currently under way
for membership.
(j) What is the state of familiarity with the WTO framework:
- among government and government-related agencies?
- in the private sector?
Government agencies have only superficial knowledge of the WTO framework.
(k) What are your technical assistance require ments with regard to your compliance with
the WTO Agreements?
Our country's main technical assistance requirements are:
(i) guidance in acceding to the WTO;
(ii) assistance in conducting the feasibility study on trade in the country, as well as for
elaborating a trade development project;  and
(iii) assistance in the field of investment, and on any other assistance that may be deemed
necessary once the replies to this questionnaire have been analysed.
(l) In which specific areas of the WTO Agreements do you have technical assistance needs
(e.g. market access, agriculture, rules (anti-dumpin g, subsidies, import licensing, rules of origin,
safeguards etc.), TBT and SPS, Services, TRIPs)?
We have technical assistance needs in the following specific areas:  market access,
agriculture, import licensing, TBT and SPS, services and TRIPs.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 4
(m) What is your assessment of your existing trade analysis and negotiating capacities, both
multilateral and bilateral, in areas already co vered by the WTO Agreements and other trade-
related areas, e.g. competition policy and trade and environment?
Existing multilateral and bilateral trade analysis and negotiating capacities are still limited.
B. OBSTACLES TO TRADE EXPANSION
Obstacles to trade encompassing problems in export markets, infrastructure, human
capacities, institutional bottlenecks, trade financing problems and gaps in trade information can
inhibit a least-developed country from taking full advantage of trading opportunities.
Supply constraints, including institutional bottlenecks
(a) What are the main bottlenecks inhibiting the development of sustained export capacity
of goods and services (e.g. customs facilitation, freight charges, quality management,
elimination of cumbersome legal and administrative procedures, paucity of human skills, access
at international prices to imported inputs, or inadequate telecommunication, port and transportfacilities etc.)?
- Land-locked countries may face additional problems, such as having to ship using costly or
unreliable transport and ports systems.  In case this applies to your country, please indicate
such problems.  What kind of technical assistance would help you work out these problems?
A range of factors are inhibiting the development of sustained export capacity, including:
lack of skilled personnel, insufficient information, inadequate quality management, deficiencies in
production infrastructure, transport and port facilities.
(b) Are there any institutional bottlenecks, wh ich may impede the efficient conduct of your
country's trade policies?  Provide details. For example, what are the problems perceived by the
different actors, e.g. exporters, producers, service providers (banks, insurance companies,
quality control, transporters etc), professional associations and Ministries?  Are problems
mainly perceived in the area of:
(i) human resources
(ii) management of the institution
(iii) financial and material resources(iv) communication
No answer has been provided for lack of information in that regard.
(c) What are the main bottlenecks to export diversification?
The main bottlenecks to export diversification include:  market access, lack of information
about our products on the part of international economic players, the limited capacity of ourcompanies, financing, lack of appropriate technology.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 5
(d) If investment in the production of goods a nd services is inadequate, what are the main
reasons?  Please elaborate them (e.g. structural constraints, difficulties in attracting foreign
investment, limited enterprise development, fi nancing, lack of appropriate technology, etc.)
In addition to the problems discussed above, mention must be made of the difficulty in
attracting foreign investment.
(e) Is there a national policy to encourage export-related investment opportunities? Please
elaborate.  What arrangements are in place fo r reviewing, drafting and negotiating contractual
arrangements with foreign investors?
A foreign investment law has been enacted providing guarantees for foreign investment in the
country, and allowing for the possibility of foreign remittances.
(f) What are the main obstacles to the transfer, development and acquisition of technology?
Is there any national policy/strategy in this area?  Please elaborate.
One of the most acute problems facing the country is the lack of a coherent policy on
technology transfer.
(g) What are your technical assistance or oth er assistance needs with respect to supply
constraints?
Our technical assistance needs with respect to supply constraints lie in the area of identifying
already existing solutions and suggesting possible solutions in the light of what has been identified.
Trade Promotion and Trade Support Services
Trade promotion comprises an integrated set of technical and financial services to enhance the
global competitiveness of enterprises and thus facilitate their entry and increasing participation in
international trade.
(h) Do your enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, experience difficulties in
expanding their exports?  What are these problems in the major export sectors?
The main problems observed are to do with the paucity of investment in production and the
identification of markets.
(i) What are the problems for your enterprises in obtaining reliable and up-to-date
information on export/import business opportunities?
The lack of direct contact with transnational corporations is another major problem.
(j) Can your enterprises offer products of in ternationally acceptable design, quality and
packaging to foreign buyers?  If not, what are the problems?
As regards the delivery of products, barring transportation difficulties, existing small and
medium-sized companies are capable of meeting their contracted delivery deadlines, though technicalassistance is needed in regard to quality control in order to measure up to international standards.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 6
(k) What problems, other than in terms of trade policy, do you anticipate in developing the
export of services (e.g. computer software, tourism)?
Other internal problems facing the development of trade are inadequate infrastructure and
transportation facilities, and the problem is even more acute in the tourism sector.
(l) What are the technical/professional problems encountered by trade support institutions
(e.g. trade promotion council, chamber of commerce, exporters association, etc.) in yourcountry in providing their services to export/import enterprises?
There are technical problems with respect to trade in the country, which is why the role
played by the Council of Trade Promotion, the Association of Exporters and the Chamber of
Commerce is more formal than functional.
(m) What problems and deficiencies are experi enced by enterprises in  their international
purchasing and inventory management?
There is no information available in this regard.
(n) What are the present availability and arrangements for trade finance facilities (e.g.
export credit guarantees, etc.)?  Are there any perceived deficiencies in this area?
There are neither formal arrangements nor financial availabilities for export promotion.
(o) What are the main problems in the way of  improving export/import management skills
of your business enterprises?  Do you have trai ning programmes in the country?  What are the
deficiencies?
The upgrading of management skills would naturally call for a general business education;
the interest and the programme exist, but we lack both the resources for implementing it and experts
in that field.
(p) Does your trade representation service actively promote your trade?  What are the
weaknesses?
We have not always been successful in promoting our trade, as we lack the requisite
techniques and technology.
(q) Briefly describe your technical assistance needs in the area of trade promotion and
support services.
All trade promotion and support activities in the country are in their initial stages.
Market access
(r) What are your main market access problems?
Lack of information on market trends, owing to non-participation in trade fairs.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 7
(s) What specific problems or barriers, and in which countries, are most troublesome for
your exporters?
This question has not been answered because of lack of information in this regard.
(t) Regional and sub-regional trading arrangem ents (RTAs):  please list RTAs to which
your country belongs.  Are you satisfied with th e performance with these RTAs? Please state the
problems of each.  Do you have suggestions on how to solve these?
Guinea is a member of the CACEU and benefits only from imports, as its exports are
extremely limited owning to the small number of manufacturing industries in the country.
Nevertheless, Guinea's main export products are the same as those of the countries in the Union.
(u) Are there any problems in utilizing the exis ting market access preferences, such as GSP,
GSTP?  Please state the nature of problems relating to each of these.
The country has in fact never utilized any of the market access preferences, whether the GSP
or GSTP.
(v) What are your technical assistance needs with respect to market access?
Our trade-related technical assistance needs are acute, not only with respect to market access,
but in regard to all spheres of commercial life (identifying markets, market studies, etc.).
C. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical assistance is normally provided to developing and least-developed countries to
build or enhance their human resources and institutional capacities, provide trade information and
trade-related legal support, as well as improve their supply capabilities in order to make them more
active players in the field of multilateral trade.
(a) To the extent this kind of information is easily available, could you please briefly
describe what trade-related assistance you have received over the past five years from bilateraland multilateral sources and what projects/programmes are presently under consideration in
this area?
We have never ever received trade-related technical assistance, nor has there ever been a
programme in that regard, as our trade is rather underdeveloped.
(b) Please summarize your technical assistance needs as well as other needs as reflected in
this check-list.  Please rank them in terms of priority.
(i) We need legal technical assistance in drawing up a package of trade laws that are in
conformity with the rules and regulations of the WTO.
(ii) Technical assistance in human resource development and training.
(iii) Technical assistance in drawing up and adopting a trade policy appropriate to the
country.
(iv) Technical assistance in the spheres of information, communication and adequate trade
practices.WT/COMTD/IF/18
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(v) Technical assistance in the management and promotion of national trade.
(vi) Technical assistance in drawing up a trade development plan for the country.
(vii) Any other technical assistance that would be useful.
(c) In the light of the information you have been able to provide so far in response to the
questions in this check-list, what types of information are, in your view, still missing or could be
improved upon?  In order to assist you in providing this missing information, would you needtechnical assistance?
Yes, in regard to the questions that have not been answered.
(d) Does your country have the technological capacity and human resources to make use of
the new information/ communication technology t ools such as CD-Rom, the Internet etc.?  What
assistance would you need to enable your country to use these tools in the context of training
and, more generally, in the context of trade development?
The country does not have the technological capacity to make use of CD-Roms and the
Internet, and therefore needs technical assistance in that regard;  besides, currently available human
resources lack training in the use of these tools, and the required infrastructure is not available.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 9
INTEGRATED RESPONSES BY IMF, ITC, UNCTAD,
UNDP, WORLD BANK AND WTO
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(k) :
Technical assistance requirements as
regards compliance with WTO Agreements
Our country's main technical assistance
requirements are:
(1) Guidance in acceding to the WTO WTO Specific assistance will be provided by the
WTO in connection with the country'saccession process.
UNCTAD/UNDP(WIPO)
UNCTADRegional workshop in the region to train
government officials and private sectorrepresentatives and NGOs in policy and
rulemaking under WTO.
In addition UNCTAD will organize
workshops and Seminars in direct support
to WTO negotiating process, including
accession.
*
World Bank/WTOA regional seminar will be conducted in
June 1998 on trade policies in the WTO
environment.
(2) Assistance in conducting the feasibilitystudy on trade in the country, as well as forelaborating a trade development projectAgencies
ITCAgencies indicated a willingness to
cooperate with the Government to identify
specific needs in operational terms and
establish priorities.  Further consultations
with the Government will be necessary to
develop specific projects and programmesand to explore funding.  ITC is presently
discussing details for fielding a
programming mission.
(3) Assistance in the field of investment,
and any other assistance that may be
deemed necessary once the replies to thisquestionnaire have been analyzed.
                                                     
*Funds are requested.WT/COMTD/IF/18
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Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(l) :
Technical assistance needs as regards
specific WTO Agreements
We have technical assistance needs in the
following specific areas:
Market Access WTO A national seminar in 1997/1998
- specialized regional seminars will be
organized for the french-speaking leastdeveloped countries in 1998 and 1999.
- A three-week trade policy training course
will be organized for the French-speakingleast developed countries in 1998 or 1999.
World Bank/WTOSee A(k).
Agriculture WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
Import Licensing WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
TBT WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
SPS WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
Services UNCTAD Assistance will be provided to develop
endogenous national policy-making
capacity in areas of domestic service sector
policy and multilateral negotiations on
services.*
WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
TRIPS WTO See immediately above under "Market
Access".
                                                     
*Funds are requested.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 11
Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question A(m):
Assessment of the existing trade analysis
and negotiating capacities
Existing multilateral and bilateral trade
analysis and negotiating capacities are still
limited.ITC See A(k)2.
UNCTAD/
UNDP/
(African
Economic
Research
Consortium,or AERC)Based on a synthesis of sectoral studies,
UNDP in 1998 and 1999 will organize, in
cooperation with UNCTAD, subregional
seminars and brainstorming workshops to
assist government officials in preparing
negotiating positions for future WTOnegotiations.
WTO See A(l).WT/COMTD/IF/18
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Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(g) :
Technical assistance needs as regards
supply constraints
Our technical assistance needs with respect
to supply constraints consist of identifying
solutions to the identified problems,including:ITC See A(k)2.
1. Lack of skilled personnel
2. Insufficient information about our
products on the part of international
economic players.
3. Inadequate quality management
4. Deficiencies in production infrastructure
5. Inadequate transport and port facilities
6. Market access
7. Financing
8. Lack of appropriate technology; lack ofcoherent policy on technology transfer
9. Difficulty in attracting foreigninvestment.WT/COMTD/IF/18
Page 13
Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question B(q) :
Technical assistance needs in the area of
trade promotion and support services
ITC See A(k)2 with reference to the
below-mentioned technical assistance
needs.
All trade promotion and support activitiesin the country are in their initial stages.
Some of the problems identified are:
1. Quality control in order to measure up to
international standards
2. There are neither formal arrangements
nor financial availabilities for export
promotion.
3. The upgrading of management skillswould naturally call for a general business
education;  the interest and the programme
exist, but we lack both the resources forimplementing it and experts in that field.
4. We have not always been successful inpromoting our trade, as we lack therequisite techniques and technology.
5. Paucity of investment in production and
the identification of markets; lack of
market studies
6. Lack of direct contact with transnationalcorporations
7. Inadequate infrastructure, in particular inthe tourism sector
8. The role played by the Council of TradePromotion, the Association of Exporters
and the Chamber of Commerce is more
formal than functional, due to technical
problems with respect to trade in the
country.WT/COMTD/IF/18
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Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(b) :
Summary of technical assistance needs
according to priority
1.We need legal technical assistance in
drawing up a package of trade laws that are
in conformity with the rules andregulations of the WTO.WTO Assistance will be provided by the WTO at
the appropriate time.
2. Technical assistance in human resource
development and training.ITC See A(k)2.
WTO See A(l).
3. Technical assistance in drawing up and
adopting a trade policy appropriate to thecountry.See A(k)2, taking into account Equatorial
Guinea's membership of the UDEAC.
4 Technical assistance in the spheres ofinformation, communication and adequatetrade practices.ITC See A(k)2.
UNCTAD Assistance will continue to be provided
through TRAINS CD-Rom.
WTO See A(l).
5.Technical assistance in the management
and promotion of national trade.
6.Technical assistance in drawing up atrade development plan for the country.See A(k)2.WT/COMTD/IF/18
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Technical assistance needs identified in the
questionnaireOrganization Response
In reply to question C(d) :
Technical assistance needs in the area of
information technology including training
of human resources
The country does not have the
technological capacity to make use of CD-ROMs and the Internet, and therefore
needs technical assistance in that regard;
besides, currently available human
resources lack training in the use of these
tools, and the required infrastructure is notavailable.UNDP Through project RAF/97/ 021 will assist the
Government to design a strategy to promotethe use of Internet.
WTO The WTO will place a computer and a laser
printer at the disposal of the Ministry of
Trade.  It will also provide the focal pointwith the necessary Internet connections and
supply educational CD-Roms.
Currently the World Bank  has only one active project which is a health sector credit.  No new
technical assistance or lending is foreseen at the moment.
__________