CAREC Reports Call for Improvement of Trade Logistics System
Improving transport and logistics systems of the countries under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program will help stimulate national economic growth and promote regional cooperation, according to seven Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports on transport and trade logistics that were launched during the Eighth CAREC Ministerial Conference in October 2009.
These reports—a synopsis and country reports for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—discuss the status and challenges of transport and logistics in these countries and recommend measures that address factors limiting the development of the sectors.
Among the key constraints to the development of transport include the CAREC region’s difficult terrain, poor or underdeveloped infrastructure, and government policies that impede private investment in the sector. Other factors hindering the growth of the logistics sector are firms’ weak financial position and limited services offered.
Trade among CAREC members and between CAREC and the rest of the world is constrained by cumbersome and non-harmonized customs procedures, while regional cross-border trade is impeded by different inspection standards and unofficial payments at borders and along routes.
To address constraints in the transport and logistics sectors, the reports propose the following:
- formulation of national master plans for the development of these sectors, with active participation of the private sector;
- increased investments in the construction and maintenance of vital roads, railways, and logistics facilities;
- provision of incentives for the acquisition of new trucks and transport facilities;
- closer cooperation in resolving cross-border trade issues; and
- harmonization of customs procedures and inspection standards.
Read the full reports:
Synopsis
Azerbaijan / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyz Republic / Mongolia / Tajikistan / Uzbekistan