Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018 and the launch of the SheTrades Commonwealth programme in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, how many of the 2,300 women entrepreneurs that registered and 518 companies that attended capacity building events have subsequently initiated or expanded their international trade to date; and what monitoring systems are in place for the future assessment of the efficacy of that programme.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The SheTrades Commonwealth programme has now supported 842 women-owned companies at capacity building and training events. To date, 144 of those companies have consequently participated in trade fairs, subsequently reporting £12.4 million worth of export leads.
The programme adheres to the Department for International Development's monitoring and evaluation standards. Key indicators are tracked through a robust results framework to ensure the women entrepreneurs we support are more competitive and improve their access to markets, and that the taxpayer is getting value for money.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, what aspects of economic development in Sierra Leone and Malawi have received technical support; and what was the result of any such support.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Since its launch at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018, the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme has increased the capacity and capability of customs organisations in 18 Commonwealth countries. This in turn facilitates the increase of trade, providing benefits for governments, consumers and producers in these Commonwealth countries. For example:
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, what plans there are for the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement to boost intra-Commonwealth trade; what are the expected outcomes of such plans; and when such outcomes are expected to be delivered.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK-funded Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme is helping member states implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The two year programme aims to help developing and least developed countries in the Commonwealth adopt faster and more efficient customs procedures that will in turn reduce the cost of doing business and create a more enabling environment for intra-Commonwealth Trade.
While the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme is due to conclude by April 2020, implementation of the TFA will continue for several more years. The Agreement is unique in that it allows developing and least developed countries to set their own timetable for implementing elements of the agreement: developing countries are required to provide definitive dates for implementation by August 2019, and Least Developed Countries by 2022.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, when the conclusions of the scoping missions to Eswatini, Tonga and Zambia will be published.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Scoping missions conducted by the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme aim to identify where external technical assistance would enhance member states' capacity to implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement. Tailor-made implementation plans have now been developed or are in the process of being developed for seven Commonwealth countries, including Eswatini, Tonga, and Zambia. The outcomes of these audits, assessments and studies are primarily for the use of those governments and are not intended for publication