Comoros

Comoros

EIF is supporting Comoros to prioritize trade, and is working with the Government to address the country's trade-related needs. This includes instrumental support as Comoros progresses toward WTO accession, and in-country enhancements to enable private sector development.

The key agricultural sectors of vanilla, ylang-ylang and clove are being targeted for strengthening at the producer, processor and institutional levels.

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Entrepreneurs in action

Entrepreneurs in action
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Comoros making scents

Comoros making scents

Support to WTO accession

The EIF has been supporting Comoros in its WTO accession process since 2017 through trade institutional capacity-building projects and a dedicated WTO accession support project. EIF support helped accelerate the WTO accession towards significant milestones, including successfully completing the technical work in view of accession at MC13. Key aspects of the EIF's support to Comoros' accession have included: 

  • Production of analytical documents on the negotiations.
  • Analyzing and preparing responses to Members' questions and comments on the proposals submitted.
  • Preparation of revised market access offers for goods and services.
  • Organization of national stakeholder consultation workshops.
  • Participation of Comoros in 6 out of 9 WTO Working Party meetings and MC12.
  • Conduct of a study on the impact of Comoros' accession to the WTO, taking into account the cost of post-accession adjustment.
  • Conduct of a study on the implementation of a VAT system in Comoros.
  • Drafting of the Law on Foreign Trade and 8 related application texts.

Trade institutional capacity-building

The EIF has worked with Comoros to develop and reinforce existing institutional capacities for the formulation and implementation of trade strategies and their incorporation into the national development plan. The capacity of the Government has been strengthened with a view to promoting regional and global pro-poor trade policies.

Key results have included the development of a plan to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation agreement and an e-commerce policy. 

The scaling-up of catalytic funding through the EIF has also been made possible through the resource mobilization efforts of the EIF National Implementation Unit (NIU). The NIU has been able to raise funding from other development partners, including the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation. The evidence and buy-in for trade reforms has also been generated by the NIU, while also acting as the key implementation partner for trade-related technical assistance in the country. For example, a project funded by the European Union in support of production, industrialization and free trade in Comoros with a total budget of EUR 6 million is being implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Trade Centre under the national coordination of the NIU. 

Enhancing the export competitiveness of vanilla, ylang-ylang and cloves

The EIF has worked to improve the competitiveness of three export sectors (vanilla, ylang-ylang and cloves) through strengthening the institutional and the technical capacities of producers and exporters to play a more active role in the commercialization of their products on regional and international markets.

Key results have included the formation of five cooperatives for the vanilla, ylang-ylang and clove value chains to safeguard pickers, distillers, perfumers and exporters, expanding the opportunities for income and helping increase productivity.

Trainings for female entrepreneurs and small business support in the form of labels and processing items have laid the foundation for increased trade for the country.

Support to eco-tourism

The EIF has provided support to eco-tourism in Comoros since 2019 with a specific focus on youths. This support has led to the creation of 65 jobs for young people (out of 85 jobs) linked to sustainable tourism; 85 people have also been trained on medicinal herbs and on the protection/cleaning of protected areas. The project has also helped improve and diversify tourism, particularly through the construction of ecolodges. 

EIF has been working with Comoros since 2014 to develop and reinforce existing institutional capacities for the formulation and implementation of trade strategies and their incorporation into national development plans.

Activities planned until 2019 aim to support Comoros to further strengthen government capacity with a view to promoting regional and global pro poor trade policies, and to support Comoros' accession to the WTO.

Results:

  • Supported activities for the accession process of Comoros to the WTO, including training of parliamentarians and working sessions for the review of technical notes.
  • Trade integrated into the sectoral policy document on industries, as well as the agriculture policy document.
  • Provided training to the association of women fish sellers covering drying and smoking techniques.

EIF is working to improve the competitiveness of three export sectors (vanilla, ylang-ylang and clove) through strengthening institutional and technical capacities of producers and exporters to play a more active role in the commercialization of their products on international markets.

Results:

  • 44 participants attended training on the creation and management of agriculture cooperatives.
  • 17 participants attended training on how to register cooperatives and companies in accordance with the relevant legislation.
  • 100 producers and processors participants in a sensitization workshop on Grande Comore Island which covered the necessity of vanilla producers and processors to work together to maximize profit.
  • 5 pilot cooperatives for the vanilla, ylang-ylang and clove value chains were established and held their respective general assemblies in 2015.
  • An analytical report on the three values was completed and an upgrade plan was developed which covers production practices, product diversification, quality, packaging, etc.

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