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After several years of conflict, the Central African Republic has returned to economic growth, with a rate of 3.7% in 2006, compared to an annual average of 0.6% from 1998 to 2005. Its economic recovery process is expected to continue in 2007 and 2008 with the implementation of macroeconomic and structural reforms, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of the Central African Republic.

The Central African Republic, a Least-developed Country (LDC), faces major challenges to its economic development. It suffers from irregular electricity supply, the absence or poor conditions of basic infrastructure (including transport, fixed telephony, hotels), and high costs of related services.

The report notes that the resumption of support from the international community should help to reinforce the incipient positive impact of the country’s reconstruction efforts. Reforms (including structural reforms) aimed at reducing the numerous supply-side constraints will have to be pursued and should facilitate the Central African Republic’s access to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. This would provide debt relief and attract capital needed to exploit the country’s enormous potential.

The report, along with a policy statement by the Government of the Central African Republic, will be the basis for the first Trade Policy Review (TPR) of the Central African Republic by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 11 and 13 June 2007.

• Secretariat report

> Contents and summary observations
> Economic environment
> Trade and investment regimes
> Trade policies and practices by measure
> Trade policies by sector
> Appendix tables

• Government report

• Revisions of the above documents may be issued approximately 2 weeks after the meeting.

• Minutes of the meeting are available approximately 6 weeks after the meeting.

• Questions and answers by WTO Members are available approximately 6 weeks after the meeting.

Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTOs full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRBs meetings are published shortly afterwards.

Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Geneve 21 and through the on-line bookshop.

The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.

Indonesia: 27 and 29 June 2007
Bahrain: 18 and 20 July 2007
Panama: 17 and 19 September 2007