. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/BFA/W/263 
5 March 2012 
 (12-1272) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
SUSPENSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES FOR 
THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE 
 
 1. In accordance with its decision of 15 May 2006
1, the General Council of the World Trade 
Organization (WTO) may suspend the application of administrative measures for Members in 
Category IV which agree to, and abide by, a defi ned schedule of instalment payments aimed at 
liquidating all arrears. 
2. To that end, the WTO Secretariat proposed to the Republic of Sierra Leone a plan for the 
payment of arrears in instalments based on the following: 
(a) The Republic of Sierra Leone's arrears as at 31 décembre 2010 amount to 
CHF 1,265,259.  This amount corresponds to 35 years of arrears. 
(b) The Republic of Sierra Leone can benefit from a specific payment mechanism for 
arrears prior to 1988 approved by the General Council in 19942 which allows the 
arrears to be reduced to CHF 968,118.  This represents a saving of CHF 297,141. 
(c) The Republic of Sierra Leone undertakes to  abide by a schedul e of instalment 
payments aimed at liquidating all arrears over a period of 15 years. 
(d) The Republic of Sierra Leone further unde rtakes to pay its annual contribution as 
from 2011.  Consequently, a total amount of CHF 93,686 will be payable to the WTO by the Republic of Sierra Leone for 20 11.  This amount corresponds to the annual 
instalment of CHF 64,541 under the payment plan and the contribution of 
CHF 29,145 for 2011.   
(e) The total annual amount due must be received by the WTO no later than 
31 December of each year, failing which the administrative measures will be reinstated. 
(f) Payments will be booked against the oldest arrears, starting with the arrears subject to 
the specific payment mechanism. 
                                                      
1 See document WT/BFA/86. 
2 See document C/M/273, para. 11. WT/BFA/W/263 
Page 2  
 
  Payment Plan 
 
Number of 
Years Year Annual Payment 
Plan Instalment Arrears 
Total arrears as at  31 December 2010*  968,118
Year 1 2011 (64,541) 903,577
Year 2 2012 (64,541) 839,036
Year 3 2013 (64,541) 774,495
Year 4 2014 (64,541) 709,954
Year 5 2015 (64,541) 645,413
Year 6 2016 (64,541) 580,872
Year 7 2017 (64,541) 516,331
Year 8 2018 (64,541) 451,790
Year 9 2019 (64,541) 387,249
Year 10 2020 (64,541) 322,708
Year 11 2021 (64,541) 258,167
Year 12 2022 (64,541) 193,626
Year 13 2023 (64,541) 129,085
Year 14 2024 (64,541) 64,544
Year 15 2025 (64,544) 0
 *Saving of CHF 297,141 deducted.  
 3. The WTO Secretariat received a letter conf irming the acceptance of the payment plan, 
including the terms set out above, on 1
st August 2011, and a payment of CHF 64,800 on 31 August 
2011 and a payment of CHF 166,507 on 27 February 2012.  
4. In accordance with the decision of the General Council of 15 May 2006, the Committee 
on Budget, Finance and Administration recomm ends that the General Council suspend the 
application of administrative measures for the Republic of Sierra Leone, which agrees to, and 
undertakes to abide by, a schedule of instalment payments aimed at liquidating all arrears over 
a period of 15 years starting on 1st January 2011.  The payments must be received no later than 
31 December of each year, failing which the administrative measures will be reinstated . 
__________