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Between 1985 and 1988, the Meaican Ministry of Trade and Industry (SECOFI) sought at each stap to undercut efforts to eliminate QRs: the same day as the Ministry of Finance (which contsoled import licenses) announced its first reduction of ORs, SECOFI trebled the reference prices apinst which tariffs were calculated; subsequently it made recourse to anti-dumipino procedure. as a protective device. But, consistent with the clear commitment to dismantling QRs at the highest reaches of the Mexican government, both obstacles to import liberalization were removed quite speedily.' As for Mauritius and Thailand, in neither country had QRs been an important instrument of protectior., although in both its use was rising prior to policy reform. The reform progrims of both countries were succeoful in eliminating entirely the use of QRs.

Only Guinea and Kenya (since 1988), the countries in the fourth group ran into some diffiulties with implmentation. In Kenya, implementation was slowed somewhat by administrative difficulties in making the transition from one relatively complex schedule of QR restrctions to another, additionally, Kenya fWiled to adopt QP. hiberalization for some products that were initially to be ir.....Jed in the reform." Notwithstanding a 1987 decision in Guinea to abolish what had been a rear-universal system of import licensing, as of early 1989 the Guinean Central Bank continued to exercise some administrative discretion in allocating foreign exchange for imports; additionally, there were isolated instances where privatization of state-owned enterprises was accompanied by restrictions on imports in the affected industry." Overall, though, in both Guinea and Kenya (post-1988) progress has beeni significant in following through on their respective (and quite different in scope) reforms.

Reforming the structure of tariffs. Prior to the initiation of reform efforts, tariff regimes were ine.i'9cient in all twelve countries, with high average nominal tariffs, high standard deviations, and the familiar cascading structure. Table 3 breaks down the countries subsequer,t experiences with tariff reform into three groups.

The first group comprises two countries -- Kenya and Mauritius -- which committed themselves to relatively limited reforms but followed through successfully on these commitments. Kenya has painstakingly made its tariff schedule somewhat more uniform over almost a decade, with the intention of accelerating the process once QR liberalization is completed. Prior to 1987 Mauritius made little effort to reform tariffs, even as it moved ahead rapidly with efforts at export promotion (on which more later); in 1987 it adopted -- and - apparently has followed through with a somewhat more ambitious program of tariff liberalization.

'Information from an interview with a World Bank official involved in lending to Mexico during the relevant period.

u 'Aide Memoire", World Bank Supervision Mission, Industrial Sector Adjustment Credit, March 1-17, 1989.

" This and other details of implementation difficulies in Guinea are from World Bank, 'Private Sector Promotion Adjustment Operation: Draft Initiating Memorandum", May 1989, and from intervimews with World Bank officials active in Guinea.