Purpose

The Trade Facilitation Section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) always seeks to develop, ameliorate and streamline trade policies in the UNECE region. As the international focal point for trade facilitation recommendations and standards, UNECE develops instruments to reduce, harmonize and automate procedures and paperwork in international trade. This work is supported by the UN Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT).

For this reason, the UNECE Trade Facilitation Section decided to undertake a project to realize a Business Process Analysis in Georgia. A Business Process Analysis (BPA) is a methodology for the analysis of a business with a view to understanding the processes and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations. It describes the processes involved, parties participating, information exchanged, and documents produced. In the context of the “Evidence-based trade facilitation (TF) measures for economies in transition” project (UNDA11), a Business Process Analysis for exports of pharmaceutical products in HS Code 3003 and 3004 from Georgia to the Central Asian countries has been undertaken by a national Consultant from Georgia and an international Consultant from the UN/CEFACT experts

Since March 2021, successful cooperation has been ongoing between Georgia and UNECE leading to the successful realization of the BPA. The BPA is in two parts. One part focuses on a market analysis with an overview of the pharmaceutical sector in Georgia. The second part is the BPA analysis establishing and identifying bottlenecks and proposing solutions in the trade-related regulatory and commercial procedures for exporting pharmaceutical products to the Central Asian countries. 

This study has been conducted under the United Nations Development Account and its 11th tranche. This project aims at strengthening national capacities for better integration of selected economies in transition in the international rules-based trading system (SDG 17.10). 

After the successful completion of this study, the UNECE, Enterprise Georgia and the Revenue Service from Georgia would like to invite you to this event presenting the main conclusions, finding and recommendations from the BPA report to policy makers.

This event will mostly seek to answer the following questions:

1. What are the main trade burdens and red tapes, in exports of pharmaceutical products from Georgia to the Central Asian economies?
2. How can Georgian trade policies and private enterprises overcome these burdens?
3. What are the implications of the findings of this report on Georgian trade policy?
4. How can the UNECE region benefit from the findings of this BPA?
5. What are the main conclusions for global and UNECE regional trade? 

14.00 - 14.20     Opening Remarks by

• Mr. Dmitry Maryasin, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECE
• Ms. Ekaterine Khositashvili, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Genenva. 

14.20 - 14.50     Presentation of the report, conclusions and main findings by

• Mr. Tengiz Lomitashvili, Georgian National Consultant   PPT
• Ms. Birgit Viohl, UN/CEFACT Domain Coordinator   PPT

14.50 - 15.30     Impact on National Trade Policies

• Mr. Nika Mamukelashvili, Head of Export Department, Enterprise Georgia   PPT

15.30 - 15.45     Impact in Georgia

• Mr. Avtandil Chelidze, Advisor at the International Relations Department of the Revenue Service (Tax and Customs Administration)   PPT

15.45 - 15.55     Questions and Answers

15.55 - 16.00     Wrap up and closing session

• Ms. Maria Rosaria Ceccarelli, Chief, Trade Facilitation Section, ECTD/UNECE