RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/S/O/GAB 
15 October 2004 
 
 (04-4349) 
Council for Trade in Services 
Special Session Original:   French 
 
 
 
GABON 
 
Initial Offer  
 
 
 The following initial offer was received from the delegation of Gab on on 1 October 2004 with 
the request that it be circulated to Memb ers of the Council for Trade in Services. 
 
_______________ 
 
  Gabon hereby submits its initial conditional offer on services to other WTO Members.  This 
offer is conditional upon satisfactory commitments  being received from other negotiating partners. 
  Gabon reserves the right to withdraw, modify or reduce its initial conditional offer on services 
and any subsequent conditional offer, in whole or in  part, at any time on or before the conclusion of 
the services negotiations, if offers considered satis factory by Gabon are not made by its negotiating 
partners.   Gabon further reserves the right to make any technical change or correction to this initial 
conditional offer and any sub sequent conditional offer. 
  
  
  TN/S/O/GAB
 Page 3GABON - SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
Modes of supply: (1)  Cross-border supply (2)  Consumption abroad (3)  Commercial presence (4)  Presence of natural persons 
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national  treatment Additional commitments 
1. BUSINESS SERVICES    
F. Other business services     
(e) Technical testing and 
analysis services 
 (CPC 8676) (1) Unbound 
(2) Unbound (1) Unbound 
(2) Unbound  
 Applies to activities in the 
following sectors: 
 
- research, extraction or 
processing of natural 
substances for the 
pharmaceutical industry; 
- basic pharmacological 
research. (3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned.  
The procedure is discretionary. 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - 
who are employees of a company and 
transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a subsidiary of the former - in the following 
categories: 
 - managers;  - senior executives; 
 - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. 
 (3) None 
 (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the 
market access column.   
 TN/S/O/GAB 
Page 4 Modes of supply: (1)  Cross-border supply (2)  Consumption abroad (3)  Commercial presence (4)  Presence of natural persons 
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national  treatment Additional commitments 
2.  COMMUNICATION 
SERVICES    
C. Telecommunications 
services     
 Commitments only apply 
to the following services, 
included under CPC 
7523**: 
b. Packet-switched data 
transmission services; 
c. Circuit-switched data 
transmission services; (1) Unbound 
(2) None 
(3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned 
(Commerce, Communications and Information Technology, Finance, Interior 
and Defence). (1) Unbound  
(2) None (3) Unbound, statutory provisions under 
consideration. 
 
  
d. Telex services; 
g. Private leased-circuit 
services; 
h. Electronic mail services; 
i. Voice mail services; j. On-line information and 
database retrieval services; (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - who are employees of a company and transferred to a company incorporated 
in Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a 
subsidiary of the former - in the following categories: 
 - managers; (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - who are employees of a company and transferred to a company incorporated 
in Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a 
subsidiary of the former - in the following categories: 
 - managers;  
k. Electronic data 
interchange (EDI) services; 
l. Enhanced/value-added 
facsimile services, incl. 
store and forward, store 
and retrieve. 
 
 
   - senior executives; 
 - specialists who possess knowledge that 
is essential to the provision of the 
service.  - senior executives; 
 - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service.   
  TN/S/O/GAB
 Page 5Modes of supply: (1)  Cross-border supply (2)  Consumption abroad (3)  Commercial presence (4)  Presence of natural persons 
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national  treatment Additional commitments 
 3. CONSTRUCTION AND 
RELATED 
ENGINEERING SERVICES    
C. Installation and assembly 
work  
 (CPC 514 + 516) (1) Unbound 
(2) Unbound 
(3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned.  
The procedure is discretionary. (1) Unbound 
(2) Unbound 
(3) None  
 Applies to pre-fabricated 
house and building 
erection services. (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - 
who are employees of a company and transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a 
subsidiary of the former - in the following categories: 
 - managers; 
 - senior executives;  - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. 
 (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the 
market access column.  
7. FINANCIAL SERVICES    
A. All insurance and 
insurance-related services  
 (CPC 8121-8129-81299- 
 8140) (1) None 
(2) None 
(3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned.  
The procedure is discretionary. 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - 
who are employees of a company and transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a 
subsidiary of the former - in the following categories: 
- managers; 
 - senior executives;  - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. (1) None 
(2) None 
(3) None 
 (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the 
market access column.   
 TN/S/O/GAB 
Page 6 Modes of supply: (1)  Cross-border supply (2)  Consumption abroad (3)  Commercial presence (4)  Presence of natural persons 
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national  treatment Additional commitments 
 
B. Banking and other 
financial services  
 Applies to the following 
headings: 
- lending of all types 
(CPC 8113); 
- transferable securities 
(CPC 81321); 
- other negotiable 
instruments and financial 
assets, including bullion (CPC 81339); 
- asset management 
(CPC 8119); 
- advisory and other 
auxiliary financial services    
(CPC 8133); 
- provision and transfer of 
financial information and 
financial data processing  
(CPC 8131). 
 (1) None 
(2) None (3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned and 
of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) 
and Central African Banking Commission  (COBAC).  The procedure is discretionary. 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - who are employees of a company and 
transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a subsidiary of the former - in the following 
categories: 
 - managers;  - senior executives; 
 - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. (1) None 
(2) None (3) None 
 
 (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the 
market access column.   
  TN/S/O/GAB
 Page 7Modes of supply: (1)  Cross-border supply (2)  Consumption abroad (3)  Commercial presence (4)  Presence of natural persons 
Sector or subsector Limitations on market access Limitations on national  treatment Additional commitments 
9. TOURISM AND 
TRAVEL-RELATED 
SERVICES    
A. Hotels and restaurants 
(including catering) 
 (CPC 641-643) (1) Unbound* except for catering services: None 
(2) None 
(3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned.  
The procedure is discretionary. 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - 
who are employees of a company and transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a 
subsidiary of the former - in the following categories: 
 - managers; 
 - senior executives;  - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. (1) Unbound
* except for catering services: None 
(2) None 
(3) None 
 (4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the 
market access column.  
B. Travel agency and tour 
operator services** 
 (CPC 7471) (1) None 
(2) None 
(3) Prior approval of the ministries concerned.  
The procedure is discretionary. 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
entry and temporary stay of natural persons - who are employees of a company and 
transferred to a comp any incorporated in 
Gabon belonging to, controlled by or a subsidiary of the former - in the following 
categories: 
 - managers;  - senior executives; 
 - specialists who possess knowledge that is 
essential to the provision of the service. (1) None 
(2) None 
(3) None 
 
(4) Unbound, except for measures affecting the 
categories of natural persons indicated in the market access column.  
_______________
                                                      
* Unbound due to lack of technical feasibility. 
** Reserved for companies specializing only in "environmental" tourism.  
 TN/S/O/GAB 
Page 8 GABON - LIST OF ARTICLE II (MFN) EXEMPTIONS 
 
Sector or subsector Description of measure 
indicating its inconsistency 
with Article II Countries to which the 
measure applies Intended duration Conditions creating the need for the 
exemption 
Maritime transport:  
coastal shipping 
(cabotage) trade Future laws, decrees and 
decisions based on bilateral or 
multilateral agreements which grant cabotage rights to trading 
partners on a reciprocal basis. 25 countries Near future, while the 
objective pursued takes 
root. To boost international trade and 
promote regional economic 
integration. 
Maritime transport Laws , decrees and decisions 
based on bilateral and/or multilateral agreements.  
Resolutions of the Ministerial 
Conference of West and Central African States on Maritime 
Transport (MINCONMAR), 
adopted with a view to the implementation of the relevant 
provisions of the United Nations 
Convention on a Code of 
Conduct for Liner Conferences 
which provides for the distribution of 80 per cent of 
liner trade with the national 
shipping company of the State at the other end of a particular 
trade.  The exemption applies to 
existing and future measures until auxiliary maritime and port 
services are developed. Not specified Unlimited Need to ensure that the national 
shipping company has at least 40 per cent of liner trade.  Promote 
development of the national fleet so 
as to underpin economic and social development at the national level.  
Ensure the competitiveness of 
Gabon's export products and reduce the cost of imported products in 
domestic trade.  Ensure efficient 
auxiliary maritime and port services.  
Promote the infant industry.  
Measures to be strengthened if trading partners continue to block 
access to cargoes or practise 
dumping. 
Maritime transport:  bulk and specialized cargoes Existing or future laws, decrees, 
orders and decisions based on 
bilateral and/or multilateral 
agreements which provide for the distribution of all bulk and 
specialized cargoes between the 
shipping companies of States at both ends of a particular trade. Not specified Unlimited Need to ensure 50 per cent of cargoes 
for national and/or subregional 
shipping companies.  Measures to be 
strengthened if trading partners continue to block access to cargoes or 
practise dumping.  
  TN/S/O/GAB
 Page 9Sector or subsector Description of measure 
indicating its inconsistency 
with Article II Countries to which the 
measure applies Intended duration Conditions creating the need for the 
exemption 
Maritime transport Existing or future laws, decrees, 
orders and decisions. Not specified Unlimited Need to promote infant industry. 
 
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