RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/ 528 
 
4 September  2020 
(20-5992) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
 
SUSPENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES  
FOR NIGER  
1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  Pursuant to a written request from  Niger  and a recommendation from the Committee on 
Budget, Finance and Administration i n 2010, the General Council approved a payment plan for Niger  
to liquidate its cumulative arrears over 15 years1.  
1.2.  The arrears  for Niger  as at 31 March 2010 amount ed to CHF  927,862. Niger  benefit ted from a 
specific payment mechanism for arrears , prior to 1988 , approved by the General Council in 19942, 
which allow ed its arrears of contributions to be reduced to CHF 733,210. This represent ed a write-
off of CHF 194,652 of its arrears  at the time .  
1.3.  The condition was that Niger would pay an amount of CHF 46,990 per annum, for a period of 
15 years, in order to settle its cumulative arrears. In addition, Niger was required to pay its annual 
contributions due from 2010 onwards. If t hese two conditions were met the Administrative Measures 
of the country would be suspended.  
1.4.  From 2010 to 2015, Niger  paid a total of  CHF 401,550  towards its arrears as well as its annual 
contributions . Since 2015, no payments at all have been  made by the country.  As a consequence , 
the country was reinstated in Category III of the Administrative Measures , due to non -compliance 
with the terms  of the agreed payment plan . 
1.5.  On 23 January 2020, an amount of CHF 250,558.73  was received from Niger . In accordance 
with Regulation 16 of the WTO Financial Regulations  (WT/L/156/Rev.3 )3, this payment was applied 
against the longest outstanding  arrears.  
2  REQUEST FOR A PAYMENT PLAN  
2.1.  On 19 February 20 20, Niger  submitted an official communication to the Dire ctor-General of the 
WTO requesting that a new payment plan be established for the country's arrears and that the 
Administrative Measures  in place be suspended . 
2.2.  On 28 February 2020, the WTO Secretariat met the Ambassador of Niger  and proposed a 
payment plan  over a period of seven years . 
2.3.  On 10 August 2020, Niger  submitted an official communication to the Director -General of the 
WTO accepting the proposition . 
2.4.  In view of 2. 3 above, the WTO Secretariat is proposing  a payment  plan to liquidate the arrears 
of Niger , based on the following:  
 
1 Document s WT/BFA/W/217 ; WT/BFA/119, para. 16; WT/GC/M/129, para. 131 . 
2 Document C/M/273, para. 11. 
3 Document WT/L/156/Rev.3, Regulation 16 : "Any payment in respect of contributions made by a Member 
which has not paid in full its contribution for previous calendar years shall, unless the General Council decides 
otherwise, be credited against the earliest date of such arrears. " WT/BFA/W/ 528 
 
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  a. As at 31 August  2020, the arrears of Niger , pertaining to a period of 13 years, amount ed 
to CHF 373,9 91. 
b. Niger  should undertake to abide by the s chedule of instalment payments aimed at 
liquid ating all arrears over a period of seven  years  as per Table 1 below . 
c. Niger  should undertake  to pay its annual contribution for 20 20 and every year thereafter. 
The contribution due from Niger  for 20 20 is CHF 29,325.  
d. Therefore, the amount that Niger  should pay in 20 20 for the Administrative Measures to 
be suspended  is CHF 78,563 (comprising of CHF 29,325 assessed contributions for 2020 
and CHF 49,238 payment towards accumulated arrears ).  
Table 1 Schedule of Payment of Arrears  
Number of Years  Years  Instalments  Outstanding  
Arrears as at 31 August  2020 373,991   
Contribution for 2020  (29,325) 
Total arrears as at 31 December 201 9 344,666  
Year 1  2020 (49,238)  295,428  
Year 2  2021 (49,238)  246,190  
Year 3  2022 (49,238)  196,952  
Year 4  2023 (49,238)  147,714  
Year 5  2024 (49,238)  98,476  
Year 6  2025 (49,238)  49,238  
Year 7  2026 (49,238)  0 
 
2.5.  In accordance with the decision of the General Council of 15 November  20124, the 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration recommends that the General Council 
suspend the application of Administrative Measures for Niger  with the proviso that Niger  
undertakes , in writing, to abide by the schedule of instalment payments for liquidating all 
arrears , over a period of seven  years . The payments must be received no later than 
31 December of each year, starting in 20 20, failing which the Administrative Measures 
will be reinstated.  
 
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4 Document WT/GC/M/138.