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The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) conducted a Workshop on Performance Measurement for Trade Facilitation on 19 September 2019 in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the 9th Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF). The Workshop discussed various performance measurement tools for trade facilitation, their utility, and emerging approaches that promote data-driven decision-making and stakeholder engagement.

This Workshop featured

• An overview of performance measurement tools for trade facilitation;
• The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)'s experience in conducting trade and transport monitoring studies in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal; and
• India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs' experience in evaluating performance, particularly time release studies, benchmarking, and monitoring implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.

Cross Border Regulatory Agencies (CBRA) are constantly assessed by stakeholders. Their performance in trade facilitation directly impacts transaction costs, and consequently, economic competitiveness. CBRAs simultaneously apply global standards and conventions and country-specific regulations or restrictions based on an economy’s needs.

Robust tools support administrations in self-evaluating the performance of CBRAs. Utilizing comprehensive and data-driven methodologies, measurement tools could help CBRAs improve their output, while providing better inputs for policy makers.

The APTFF is the leading regional platform for the exchange of information, experiences, and practice on trade facilitation. This year, the Asian Development Bank and the UNESCAP, in collaboration with the Government of India and the Confederation of Indian Industries, jointly organized the 9th APTFF in New Delhi, India. The main event was held on 17-18 September 2019. Side events organized by various development partners were held on 19-21 September 2019. These side events provided more in-depth exploration of pertinent trade facilitation issues.