Trade & Transport Facilitation in South East Europe Project

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The Trade and Transport Facilitation in Southeast Europe Project, aims at strengthening, and modernizing customs administrations, and border control agencies in Albania, (and other countries in the region), seeking to reduce non-tariff costs to trade, and transport, reduce smuggling, and corruption at border crossings, in a collaborative effort between the Government of Albania (GOA), the European Union (EU), the United States of America (USA), and the Bank. The project components are: 1) Reform of customs services procedures, through monitoring, and revision procedures, to refine productivity indicators, enabling international standards. Training of customs staff will address particularly veterinary, and phyto-sanitary issues, including training to police, judges, and other officials involved in customs prosecutions. 2) Strengthening of private-public partnerships, through the establishment of a web-site supporting the program, to act as a focal point for trade facilitation; it includes training and expert services. 3) Support for an integrated customs information system, through the supply, and installation of hardware, and local/wide area networks at customs sites. 4) Improvement of roads, and border-crossing facilities, through the rehabilitation of existing stations, including design, and supervision works. 5) Operating, training, and consulting services will be financed by the USA, the Bank, and GOA.