G/TFA /N/NIC/4/Rev.1  
20 February  2023 
(23-1204) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF ARRANGEMENTS AND PROGRESS IN THE PROVISION  
OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT  
FOR CATEGORY C DESIGNATIONS  
COMMUNICATION FROM NICARAGUA  
Revision  
The following communication, dated 10 February 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Nicaragua.  
 
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Nicaragua hereby notifies information on the arrangements concluded and progress made in the 
provision of technical assistance and capacity building support for the followin g category C 
designation, in accordance with Article 16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). This notification 
updates the notification G/TFA/N/NIC/4 dated 12 August 2020 only with respect to Article 1.3 - 
Enquiry Points.  
 
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  Definitive date for 
implementation  
Article 1.3  
 Enquiry Points  C 22 February 2020  22 June 2023  
Donors:  To be determined  
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
In order to comply with Article 1.3 Enquiry Points of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Nicaragua notified 
the need for:  
 
1. Technical assistance from computer and programming specialists to develop and improve website 
automation for the National Commission for the Control and Regulation of Toxic Substances (CNRCST), so as 
to meet the Commission's new requirements; and financial assistance to acquire computer equipment, software 
and licences.  
 
2. In addition to the notified  technical assistance, capacity building is required for technical staff at the CNRCST 
to ensure sustainable implementation of the proposed measures. Assistance is also needed to establish a 
computer system to manage formalities and services for CNRCST use rs. 
 
With regard to point 1, the CNRCST , using its own funds, already has its own website, which sets out the 
formalities, tariffs and procedures; it also has a section with links to International instruments and the Legal 
Framework, the forms and application templates for all control procedure s carried out by the CNRCST. Technical 
and legal aspects of the website are continually updated. Please find here a link to the website: 
https://cnrcst.gob.ni/  
 
With regard to point 2, the CNRCST  is currently developing its own system that will supplement the single 
window for foreign trade (VUCEN) and the Management Control System which will be used by Border Control 
Posts, pursuant to the provisions of the Border Integration Programme (PIF), as well as for import and export 
permit procedures, by April 2023.  
 G/TFA/N/NIC/4/Rev.1  
- 2 - 
  Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  Definitive date for 
implementation  
Article 5.1  Notification for 
enhanced controls or 
inspections  C 22 February 2020  22 December 2020  
Donors:  Resources from the Institute for Agricultural and Livestock Protection and Health (IPSA)  
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
In order to comply with Article 5.1 of the TFA ("Notifications for enhanced controls or inspections"), Nicaragua 
notified the need for: 1. Advice on completing notification procedures, 2. A section on the IPSA website where 
the country's sanitary and phyto sanitary status can be published, together with International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and WTO information.  
In this regard, IPSA's own funds have been used to provide consulting on "Support for the rev iew and 
preparation of procedural manuals for the substantive directorates and support areas" - a process through 
which agricultural quarantine procedures are being updated. Moreover, efforts are under way to develop 
detection procedures for entry points a nd a notification completion procedure for the Plant Quarantine 
Department of the Agricultural Quarantine Directorate and the Plant Health Directorate.  
The Plant Health Directorate has a phytosanitary alert procedure for notifying the presence of regulated  pests. 
The same procedure is used to provide notification of international phytosanitary alerts issued through the 
IPPC website.  
The Animal Health Directorate immediately (within 24 hours) notifies the OIE World Animal Health Information 
System (WAHIS) th rough the Nicaraguan delegate. A final report is sent to the OIE to remove the alert once 
the outbreak has been controlled or eradicated.  
In light of the above, Nicaragua will not require technical assistance or capacity building support from donors 
to implement the measure.  
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  Definitive date for 
implementation  
Article 5.3  Test Procedures  C 22 February 2022  22 June 2024  
Donors:  To be determined  
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
Nicaragua has not yet received assistance or capacity building support from donors to implement the 
provisions of Article 5.3. The notified requirements therefore still apply:  
1. Capacity building to improve  phytosanitary diagnostic laboratories in the departments of Managua, Estelí, 
León and Rivas, and the national chemical and biological residues laboratory, through the acquisition of 
equipment, materials and reagents, the enhanced implementation of diagnos tic methods, staff training, 
and the strengthening of regional laboratory infrastructure, with a view to better serving exporters and 
importers of products and by -products of plant origin.  
Details of financial assistance:  
• Reagents, consumables and equipmen t for central and regional laboratories.  
• Strengthening of the diagnostic and technical capacities of staff (diploma -based training, workshops, 
specialized courses, post -graduate courses, internships, etc.).  
• Remodelling and refitting of three regional phytosanitary diagnostic laboratories in the departments of 
Estelí, León and Rivas.  
Additional assistance and capacity building : 
2. Assistance and capacity building support to improve diagnostic techniques though the validation and 
accreditation of test methods, as well as to implement a quality management system at the 
National  Laboratory for Phytosanitary Diagnostics and Seed Quality and standardize the methodologies  of 
regional laboratories as a prerequisite for accreditation in c entral laboratories under  ISO/IEC 17025:2017.  
 G/TFA/N/NIC/4/Rev.1  
- 3 - 
  Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Indicative date for 
implementation  Definitive date for 
implementation  
Article 10.4  Single Window  C 22 February 2020  22 June 2022  
Donors: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)  
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
In order to comply with Article 10.4 of the TFA ("Single Window"), Nicaragua notified the need for:  
1. Financial support for acquiring equipment and licences and contracting specialized computer design and 
development services, with a view to the continued improvement of the VUCEN system.  
2. Technical assistance to improve the system.  
Additional technical assi stance and capacity building:  
3. Implementation of the "foreign trade e -signature", with a view to effectively improving trade with partner 
countries and increasing competitiveness in international trade through a reliable system that will enable 
government b odies involved in procedures relating to the import and export of goods to generate 
electronically signed documents.  
In this regard, it should be noted that points 1 and 2 are currently being implemented under Border Integration 
Programme 3484/BL -NI. The S ingle Window component of that programme, entitled "Efficient and effective 
border control procedures under the Border Integration Programme (PIF)", is funding operational aspects of 
the VUCEN system, including the functional expansion of VUCEN's IT system  and the development of its 
technological platform.  
Regarding point 3, the requirement concerning the implementation of the "foreign trade e -signature" still 
applies.  
Nine foreign trade -related institutions will be connected to the VUCEN system, in order t o simplify procedures 
and reduce the time taken to obtain import and export permits.  
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