Project

A. General Information

1. Title

Regional Platform of the National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) in Central Asia

2. Status of the project
Operating
3. Implementation period of the project/service:
From
Jan-2019
To
--
4. Website
https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/139478.html
5. Geographical coverage
Regional: Asia and the Pacific
Participating countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan
Hub Point: Uzbekistan
6. Participating agencies/entities of the project/service:
a. Development stage
Lead agencies/entities
- Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Other participating agencies/entities
- Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic
- Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan
- Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan
b. Operational stage
Lead agencies/entities (op)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Other participating agencies/entities (op)
- National Trade Facilitation Committees of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
- International Road Transport Union (IRU)
- International Trade Centre (ITC)
- USAID Trade Central Asia
- Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)
7. Main stakeholders/beneficiaries of the project
Traders (big enterprises)
Traders (SMEs)
Transport
Customs brokers
Customs
Other Government Agencies (OGAs)
Transport and logistics companies, freight forwarders, business associations
8. Business process category of the project
Forwarding and cargo handling
Transport
Regulatory/official control
Transit facilitation, border crossing procedures

B. Lessons Learned

9. Summary description of the project/service
Brief Summary

The Regional Platform of NTFCs in Central Asia brings together representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan twice annually to coordinate trade facilitation reforms and promote paperless trade across the region.

a. Objective(s)

To improve implementation of trade facilitation measures in Central Asia by providing technical assistance on making border crossing and transit faster, more efficient, and transparent. The platform facilitates public-private dialogue and regional cooperation on WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement implementation.

b. Business need for the project (background)

Central Asian countries face high trade costs due to landlocked location, limited transport links, and complex trade and transit procedures. Cross-border trade remains costly due to long queues, repeated document checks, and procedural delays. Cooperation between customs and border agencies is insufficient.

c. Business process covered*

- Regional coordination of National Trade Facilitation Committees
- Public-private dialogue on trade facilitation
- Implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
- Digitalization of trade documents (e-TIR, e-Phyto)
- Electronic queue management systems at border crossings
- Risk management systems for customs authorities

d. Overall architecture and functionalities*

The platform operates as a regional consultation mechanism with biannual meetings of NTFC representatives from five Central Asian countries. It includes a Working Group on Paperless Trade. The platform supports deployment of digital tools including e-TIR system integration with national customs systems, electronic phytosanitary certification via IPPC ePhyto Hub, and electronic queue management systems at border crossings.

e. Relevant document/figure
--
10. Documents and data exchanged via the project

- Electronic TIR carnets (e-TIR)
- Electronic phytosanitary certificates (e-Phyto)
- TIR Electronic Pre-Declarations (TIR-EPD)
- Trade facilitation action plans
- Joint Action Plans of NTFCs

11. Data models/databases, proprietary solutions, hybrid approaches

The project uses the UNECE eTIR international system for customs-to-customs data exchange and the IPPC ePhyto Hub for phytosanitary certificates. Uzbekistan connected to the ePhyto Hub in October 2020.

12. Main challenges faced during the project

- Landlocked geography causing high trade costs
- Limited transport links between countries
- Complex and unharmonized trade and transit procedures
- Lack of risk management systems in customs authorities
- Insufficient cooperation and information exchange between border agencies
- Need for legislation to enable electronic document exchange

13. Lessons learned from the project

- Regional dialogue is crucial for implementing trade facilitation reforms and removing barriers at regional level
- Public-private dialogue ensures transparency and protects interests of all parties
- Pilot projects at border crossings are essential to move from policy to implementation
- Experience from the platform was presented at WTO Trade Facilitation Committee in October 2023 as a unique example globally

14. Main benefit(s) of the project
Transaction Time savings
Simplified process
Increased trade flow
14A. Elaborations/detailed description on benefits gained
--
15. Technical/financial/capacity building/other assistance

The project is commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with budget of 6.5 million euros for 2024-2026 phase distributed among five countries. GIZ provides technical assistance including expert training, workshops, and pilot project implementation.

16. Future plan for expansion of the project

- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan plan to implement e-Phyto data exchange by end of 2024
- Development of roadmap for digitalization of multimodal data along Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor
- Continuation of Working Group on Paperless Trade in Central Asia
- Further expansion of electronic queue systems to additional border crossings

17. Other information or relevant references on the project

- In April 2023, the "Statement on Cooperation in the field of Trade Facilitation" was signed between NTFCs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
- 13 regional meetings have been conducted since 2019
- Turkmenistan officially joined the project in March 2024
- The 11th Regional Meeting was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in May 2024

18. Relevant document regarding the project
giz2024-en-factsheet-tfca.pdf

C. Relevant Standards

19. Name(s) of any international, national legal instrument underpinning the project
- WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
- TIR Convention (Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets)
- UN/ESCAP Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific
- International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) - ISPM 12
20. Electronic message standard
20A. Electronic message standard supporting the project
XML:
- UN/CEFACT BRS/RSM
- WCO Data Model
20B. Type of standard for electronic message applied for the project
International standard
21. Technical communication standard
21A. Technical communication standard supporting the project
HTTP
21B. Type of technical communication standard applied for the project
International standard
22. Security-related standards*
22A. Security-related standard supporting the project
TLS (Transport Layer Security) / SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
Digital signatures
22B. Type of security-related standard applied for the project
International standard
23. Other Technical Information
23A. Interface developed for data exchange with an internal system
- National customs systems interconnected with UNECE eTIR international system
- National phytosanitary systems connected to IPPC ePhyto Hub
- Uzbekistan's Automated Information System E-phyto.uz connected to international ePhyto system
23B. Other technical implementation information
- Electronic Queue Management System (e-QMS) deployed at border crossings including Dostuk (Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan) and Kyzyl-Kiya
- TIR-EPD (Electronic Pre-Declaration) operational in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan
- Digital TIR corridor connecting Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan

Last Update: 2 December 2025