G/TFA/N /MDV/3  
9 December 2019  
(19-8467) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION OF CATE GORY COMMITMENTS  UNDER  
THE AGREEMENT ON TRA DE FACILITATION  
COMMUNICATION FROM MALDIVES  
The following communica tion, dated  4 December  2019, is being circulated at th e request of the 
delegation of  Maldives for Members' informa tion. 
 
_______________  
 
 
The Government of Maldives hereby makes the following notifications in response to  Articles 15 and 
16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (WT/L/931).  
  
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 2 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
Article 1  Publication and Availability of Information  
Article 1.1  Publication  B 31 December 202 3 31 December 20 23 - 
Article 1.2  Information Available Through Internet  C 31 December 202 3 31 December 20 23 Assistance and financial support are required 
to translate all existing laws, rules and 
regulations, standards, guidelines, SOPs 
relating to trade, into English language.  
Assistance and support are required to 
upgrade, Ministry of Economic Development 
(MED) and Maldives Food and Drug Authorit y 
(MFDA) website.  
Assistance to develop capacity of MED, MFDA 
and officials of Ministry of Health (MoH) to 
manage, maintain and update website, / 
information portal.  
Assistance to develop Ministry of Fisheries, 
Marine Resources and Agriculture (MoFMA) to 
further develop fis heries information system 
(FIS), and assistance to develop capacity on 
managing and updating fisheries information 
portal.  
Article 1.3  Enquiry Points C 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 2 Assistance to build institutional 
arrangements , develop staff capacity , training 
of staff  on operating and maintaining enquiry 
points.  
Article 1.4  Notification  C 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  Assistance and support required to train staff 
in the area of notification.  
Assistance is needed to establish an electronic 
information and notification management 
system or such mechanism, enabling an 
expeditious, accurate and timely flow in 
notifications.  
Article 2  Opportunity  to Comment, Information before Entry into Force and Consultations  
   Article 2.1  Opportunity to Comment and Information 
Before Entry into Force  C 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 3 Assistance and support required to  train staff 
to build the legal competency  to develop 
procedures and a mechanism for public 
consultation on laws and regulations.  
   Article 2.2  Consultations  B 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 3 -  
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 3 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
Article 3  Advance Rulings  
 C 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 3 Assistance on training  and building expertise 
on advance ruling and on Rules of Origin 
(ROO) required for Customs officials and 
other border related agencies.  
Assistance to conduct  public education 
campaigns for stakeholder awareness and 
engagement.  
Article 4  Procedures for Appeal or Review  
 A - - - 
Article 5  Other Measures to Enhance Impartiality, Non -Discrimination and Transparency  
Article 5.1  Notification for Enhanced Controls or 
Inspections  C 31 December 202 3 31 December 202 4 Assistance and support to implement an e-
notification alert system for Health Protection 
Agency (HPA), Maldives Food and Drug 
Authority (MFDA) and  Ministry of Fisheries , 
Marine Resources and Agricultur e and 
capacity building to facilitate notification for 
enhanced controls and/or inspections.  
Assistance to review the legal f ramework and 
procedures to analyse and enhance the legal 
framework and procedures.  
Article 5.2  Detention  A - - - 
Article 5.3  Test Procedures  C 31 December 202 3 31 December 2025  Assistance and financial support are required 
to acquire laboratory testing kits and relevant 
laboratory equipment and materials.  
Assistance and support are required to train 
and build capacity of the t echnical staff  and 
testing capabilities of laboratory staff.  
Assistance and support are required to  
strengthen  capacity at  National Health 
Laboratory for food and medicine testing.  
Assistance and support are also required to 
establish  port facilities at central and regional 
level for food and medicine storage.  
Assistance and support are also required to 
develop testing parame ters and accreditation.   
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 4 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
Article 6  Disciplines on Fees and Charges Imposed on or in Connection with Importation and Exportation and Penalties  
Article 6.1  General Disciplines on Fees and Charges 
Imposed on or in Connection with 
Importation and Exportation  B 31 December  2021 31 December 202 3 - 
Article 6.2  Specific Disciplines on Fees and Charges 
for Customs Processing Imposed on or in 
Connection with Importation and 
Exportation  A - - - 
Article 6.3  Penalty Disciplines  A - - - 
Article 7  Release and Clearance of Goods  
Article 7.1  Pre-arrival Processing  A  - - - 
Article 7.2  Electronic Payment  C 31 December 2023  31 December 20 24 Capacity development for the respective 
institutions that will be involved in the 
implementation of the national single window 
system.  
Assistance required to strengthen the legal 
framework, to enable electronic payments.  
 
The feature of electronic payment may be 
made available with the introduction of 
National Single Window (NSW).  
Article 7.3  Separation of Release from Final 
Determination of Customs Duties, Taxes, 
Fees and Charges  
 C 31 December 202 3 31 December 20 24 Assistance and financial support to procure 
the relevant technologies, such as pallet 
scanners, container X -ray scanners, so that 
shipments can be released without payment 
of duty and taxes, upon providing adequate 
security or guarantee.  
 
Assistance on introduction of a 
security/guarantee system in Customs.  
Article 7.4  Risk Management  C 31 December 2023  31 December 202 3 Expert support on the design and 
establishment of a risk management system.  
ICT Infrastructure and technology for an 
automated risk management system.  
Assistance required for the development of  
capacity of staff in related institutions on the 
implemen tation of the risk management 
system.   
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 5 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
Technical assistance to develop a mechanism 
to ensure enhanced coordination and 
collaboration between border agencies on risk 
identification, and application of risk 
management.  
Expert support required in the design, 
establishment and operation of a risk 
management system.  
Article 7.5  Post-clearance Audit  C 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  Assistance required for Maldives Customs 
Service and where required, at other related 
agencies to develop a full-fledged PCA 
System, with all internal process and 
procedures, which is also linked with the risk 
management system that will complement  
each other.  
Article 7.6  Establishment and Publication of Average 
Release Times  C 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 3 Assistance is required on designing, planning 
and implementing time-release  studies.  
Staff capacity needs to be developed and the 
necessary training is required for staff on 
improving the average time release.  
Article 7.7  Trade Facilitation Measures for Authorized 
Operators  C 31 December 202 3 31 December 20 24 Technical assistance and support are required 
to introduce authorized trader /operator 
scheme , develop a monitoring framework 
though which Customs can establish and 
monitor operator compl iance and the 
necessary training  to Customs Officials.  
Training and capacity building are also 
required for all other border agencies to 
ensure fuller compliance to this provision.  
Article 7.8  Expedited Shipments  B 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  - 
Article 7.9  Perishable G oods A - - - 
Article 8  Border Agency Cooperation  
 C 31 December 2023  31 December 2023  Training  is required  for Business Process 
Analysis, data harmonization, data 
standardization and automation among 
border agencies.  
Article 9  Movement of Goods Intended for I mport  under Customs Control  
 A - - -  
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 6 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
Article 10  Formalities Connected with Importation, Exportation and Transit  
Article 10.1  Formalities and Documentation 
Requirements  B 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  - 
Article 10.2  Acceptance of C opies B 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  - 
Article 10.3  Use of International Standards  C 31 December 202 1 31 December 202 3 Training and capacity development are 
required to support the staff of relevant 
institution s to comply with international 
standards and best practices.  
Assistance is required for testing, 
certification, inspection and accreditation 
capabilities of relevant regulatory agencies 
and provide assistance for upgrading the 
facilities in compliance with international 
standards.  
Assistance required to join ATA Carnet.  (Note: 
Customs will be acceding to the RKC  soon. ) 
Training is required for Customs Officials to 
implement ATA C arnet . 
 
Technical expertise  required  to identify gaps 
between existing legislation and international 
standards and assist to align in accordance 
with them.  
Article 10.4  Single Window  C 31 December 2023  31 December 2024  Training and capacity building are required for 
relevant border agency staff and the business 
community to sensitize and train them to 
implement and operate in a National Single 
Window environment.  
Training is required, specifically focuse d on 
those officials  who will be  involved in the day 
to day operation  and implementation of the  
National Single W indow  System in the 
country.  
Technical assistance is also required to build 
the institutional capacity in relevant border 
agencies , in order to  implement the National 
Single Window.   
  G/TFA/N/MDV/3  
 
- 7 - Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Definitive date for 
implementation  
(for categories  
B and C)  Assistance and Support for Capacity 
Building Required for Implementation  
(for category C)  
(Note: Financial assistance requested , 
funding approved  and Agreements signed 
with ADB in 2019, for the development of a 
National Single  Window in Maldives.  
Funding for this project will be released in 
2019).  
Article 10.5  Pre-shipment Inspection  A - - - 
Article 10.6  Use of Customs Brokers  A - - - 
Article 10.7  Common Border Procedures and Uniform 
Documentation Requirements  A - - - 
Article 10.8  Rejected G oods B 31 December 202 1 31 December 2023  - 
Article 10.9  Temporary Admission of Goods and Inward 
and Outward Processing  C 31 December 202 3 31 December 2025  Technical assistance and training  are required  
to supervise and audit inward and outward 
operations.  
 
Technical assistance to establish the link 
between revenue authority in determining 
inward/outward duty and applicable taxes.  
Article 11  Freedom of Transit  
 C 31 December 2023  31 December 2025  Technical assistance and capacity building 
required to develop  a legal framework and  in 
the ICT field. 
 
Assistance to i ntroduce security/guarantee 
system.  
 
Assistance to train staff at Customs and other 
border agencies.  
 
Assistance required to  establish  a 
coordination and cooperation exchange 
mechanism between border agencies.  
Article 12  Customs C ooperation  
 B 31 December 202 1 31 December 2022  - 
 
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