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Expression of Interest for Design and Needs Assessment Study on Trade Facilitation including Streamlining of Border and Corridor Procedures and Processes of the Programme and Development of Transit Zones The services to be provided under the Assignment include the following: Review of national, MRU, ECOWAS and AfCFTA trade-related policies and legal instruments, and identify inconsistencies or implementation gaps affecting trade in goods, customs cooperation, rules of origin, transit, standards, SPS/TBT compliance, and NTB reporting; Map public and private stakeholders involved in cross-border trade, including customs, immigration, standards bodies, police, transport unions, chambers of commerce, market associations, women trader groups, freight forwarders, SMEs and local authorities, and assess their roles, capacity gaps and coordination constraints; Assess customs, tax, transit and border management procedures, including tariff classification, valuation, documentary requirements, certificates of origin, border fees, MANO RIVER UNION UNION DU FLEUVE MANO 2 inspection practices, risk management, post-clearance controls, and the use or potential use of electronic systems such as ASYCUDA and single-window platforms; Identify Aid for Trade, AfCFTA implementation support, customs modernization, digitalization and private sector development opportunities that could complement the MRU/RDTFP Phase III trade facilitation component, including possible support from AfDB, WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD, ITC and other development partners; Assess the participation of SMEs, cooperatives, farmers organizations, logistics operators, women-led enterprises and informal traders in priority value chains, and identify practical measures to support formalization, aggregation, access to finance, quality compliance, market information and participation in AfCFTA-enabled regional supply chains; Assess awareness and practical knowledge among traders and border officials on trade documentation, rules of origin, certificates of origin, customs obligations, standards and certification, insurance and freight terms, NTB reporting, and rights and obligations under ECOWAS, MRU and AfCFTA frameworks, and propose targeted training modules; Assess the specific constraints faced by women cross-border traders, including access to information, finance, storage, market facilities, safety, harassment, documentation, digital tools and representation in trade facilitation institutions, and design a gender-responsive capacity-building and facilitation plan; In collaboration with border communities and relevant agencies, identify the main goods, services and value chains traded through formal and informal channels, including their origin, destination markets, seasonality, volumes where available, transport routes, and potential eligibility for AfCFTA preferences; stakeholders Estimate, to the extent data permits, the fiscal, commercial and development costs of informal trade, illegal fees, delays, duplicated inspections and unrecorded transactions, while distinguishing revenue loss from legitimate simplified trade facilitation needs; Identify the main categories of cross-border trade, including agricultural produce, processed food, livestock, manufactured goods, consumer products, services, transit traffic and informal small consignments, and assess the regulatory and logistical constraints affecting each category; Assess levels of participation by individual traders, SMEs, cooperatives, companies, farmers organizations, transport operators and public agencies, and identify pathways for moving from informal and low-value trade toward formal, value-added and AfCFTA-compliant trade; Identify trade facilitation, security, governance, climate, social and operational risks along the corridor, including harassment, corruption, smuggling, border closures, weak data systems, institutional fragmentation and climate-related disruptions, and propose mitigation measures; Prepare a corridor-level trade facilitation and AfCFTA implementation roadmap, including quick wins, medium-term reforms, responsible institutions, estimated costs, financing options, sequencing, risk mitigation measures, and monitoring indicators. Tender Link : https://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/procurement
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