== Abstract ==

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Trade facilitation is one of the key             engines of growth in an economy. Improving the quality and             reliability of the trade facilitation infrastructure and             services is a major building block for reducing transaction             costs, attracting domestic and foreign investment, and             expanding access to economic opportunities. The Government             of Congo, Rep. recognizesthat more needs to be done to             address existing constraints to intra-regional trade.             Indeed, efficient trade facilitation is central to achieving             the objectives of Congo’s Vision 2025, whose overarching             goal is to transform the country from a lower middle income             economy to an upper middle income export-oriented economy.             Attaining the country’s vision will require the addressing             of at least three key constraints. Firstly, low investment             in the development and maintenance ofthe country’s physical             infrastructure; secondly, an insufficient and ineffective             capacity to deliver therequired transport and port services;             and thirdly, a lack of international competitiveness and             export diversification. Addressing these constraints will             catalyze the development of modern transport             infrastructureand services, contributing to a reduction in             the cost of doing business and thus increasing the             country’scompetitiveness.Several policies and other             interventions have been implemented by the Government to             address the country’s trade facilitation challenges. Some of             these interventions prioritize improving the quality and             reliability of transport and port infrastructure and             service, whichis critical for reducing transaction costs and             attracting investments, contributing to the broader goals of             inclusive growth by connecting rural communities toeconomic             activities. This report aims to complement these efforts by             making two key contributions. Firstly, it identifies thecore             trade facilitation bottlenecks facing the country,and             explores options for mitigating these challenges. Secondly,             it presents an action plan covering both theexpansion of             physical infrastructure and the developmentof transport             sector structure, regulation, and institutional capacity;             distinguishing between the short-and longer-term measures.             The action plan is expected to strengthen the strategy for             sustainable economic development and for informing dialogue             on required reform measures. The report’s recommendations             are also expected to support more inclusive growth, and also             ensure that said inclusive growth is sustainable. It is             hoped that the report’s findings will be used to inform the             designand implementation of the measures required to promote             trade facilitation.

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== Original document ==

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The different versions of the original document can be found in:

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* [http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28080 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28080] under the license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo

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