See also:
> Press release: Lamy
welcomes Cape Verde's accession as another sign of confidence in the WTO
|
-
Foreign exchange and payments: Cape Verde would eliminate the
prior authorization requirement for certain foreign exchange
transactions by July 2008.
-
Privatisation programme and state enterprises: Cape Verde would
ensure the transparency in its ongoing privatisation programme and
would provide annual reports as long as the programme would be in
place. All state owned or invested enterprises or enterprises with
special privileges would operate on a commercial basis. Upon
accession, Cape Verde would notify and provide information on the
activities of these companies.
-
Pricing policy: Price controls would be applied in accordance
with WTO principles and would take into account the interest of
exporting WTO members. Cape Verde would publish a list of goods and
services for which prices are determined by the government.
-
Framework for making and enforcing policies: Cape Verde would
uniformly implement WTO provisions and the protocol of accession on
the whole territory. Legal and institutional structures would provide
for administrative and judicial review in conformity with WTO
requirements.
-
Trading rights (the right to import and export): From the date
of accession, any person or company from any member would be able to
import goods into Cape Verde without conditions related to physical
presence or investment in Cape Verde. Rights to import and export
would be granted in a non-discriminatory basis. Commercial
registration would only be for customs or fiscal purposes.
-
Fees and charges for services rendered: By December 2012, the
current (ad valorem) customs user fees would be modified to comply
with WTO rules. Fees, if introduced in the future, would be applied
according to WTO principles.
-
Internal taxes (VAT, special tax on consumption, environmental
tax): By June 2008, Cape Verde's laws and regulations relating to
internal taxes and charges on imports would be in conformity with WTO
obligations.
-
Import restrictions: Upon accession, Cape Verde would eliminate
and would not reintroduce restrictions on imports or any other non
tariff measure (quotas, bans, authorizations, licensing requirements,
permits, etc.) that cannot be justified under WTO rules. The import
licensing regime would be fully compatible with WTO rules.
-
Customs valuation: Full implementation of the custom valuation
agreement by January 2011.
-
Rules of origin: Full implementation of the agreement on rules
of origin by July 2008
-
Anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguard regimes:
These measures would only be applied by Cape Verde in conformity with
WTO rules.
-
Subsidies: Subsidy programmes would be in line with WTO
obligations by January 2010. Prohibited subsidies that have been
granted prior to accession would be eliminated by no later than
January 2015.
-
Standards (TBT, SPS): Technical regulations or standards and
conformity assessment procedures if introduced in the future would not
constitute any unnecessary obstacles to trade. Cape Verde would fully
implement the SPS agreement by January 2010.
-
TRIMs: Cape Verde would not maintain any measures inconsistent
with the TRIMs agreement from the date of accession.
-
Free zones: Cape Verde would meet its WTO obligations in the
free zones by January 2010.
-
Intellectual property: Cape Verde would apply the TRIPS
agreement by January 2013. In light of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS
and Public Health, the provisions related to the scope and use of
patents and the protection of undisclosed information would be
implemented by January 2016.
-
Additional charges: Cape Verde has also reserved its right to
apply the ECOWAS1
Levy of 0.5% on imports.
|
Note:
1. ECOWAS, the Economic Community Of
West African States, is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded
in 1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in “all fields
of economic activity, particularly industry, transport,
telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce,
monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters ...” Members are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Togo and Liberia. Back to text
|
