By Andrew Allimadi, 22 March 2006

The trade and regional integration division (TRID) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) conducted a technical assistance mission to Dakar, Senegal from 13 – 16 March at the request of the Senegalese government. Mr. Mustapha Sadni-Jallab and Mr. Ben Idrissa Ouedraogo undertook the mission.

The purpose of the mission was to train Senegalese officials on the use of economic techniques of assessing the impacts of trade agreements on their economy; and to finalize the terms of reference for a study assessing the possible impact of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union on Senegal.

The training, conducted in collaboration with ECA’s Institute of Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), introduced government officials and trade researchers to the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) software and the WITS/Smart partial equilibrium model developed by the World Bank and UNCTAD. Fifteen participants from the Ministry of Trade; the Statistics Department and the Research Centre on Applied Economics (CREA) of the University Cheikh Anta Diop attended. Participants were provided with a copy of the software and they were able to discover the various simulation opportunities as well as trade and tariffs data extraction possibilities. They were also able to get some practical experience through case studies.

Regarding the terms of reference, it was agreed that the Ministry of Trade, the CREA and ECA would conduct the study jointly within a period of three months in order to meet the EPA and World Trade Organization negotiations’ calendars.

The mission was also able to contribute to the mainstreaming of trade in Senegal through the reinforcement of communication and collaboration opportunities between the Ministry of Trade and local research centres.

Background

Senegal is currently engaged within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) group of countries in trade negotiations with the European Union (EU) through the framework of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. These negotiations may lead to an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU by January 2008, which will be the new cooperative framework based on partnership, trade and political dialogue. In order to assess the impacts of this free trade agreement with the EU on its national economy, the government of Senegal requested ECA for some Trade Related Technical Assistance on impact studies.