Emerging Markets

The Cambodian Ministry of Commerce needed a system to monitor trade facilitation reform progress as part of its 12-point Trade Facilitation Reform Action Plan. EMC was engaged to create an import / export performance monitoring system (PMS) and to carry out an initial set of measurements.

For EMC, the first step was to map the import/export process – a core business consulting method, applied to a private sector development goal. The team mapped the process for both air and sea channels.

EMC then worked with key government officials to create measurement points for the introduction of electronic time stamps that would allow stakeholders to measure the timeliness of import and export transaction processes. This created a data-trail which an audit team could compile and analyse to monitor improvements to the efficiency of the import and export processes.

EMC also developed survey-based indicators, based on the World Bank’s Investment Climate Assessment, to determine private sector investors’ views on the import/export process. This allowed us to provide recommendations to government stakeholders on ways to improve the process which would matter most to traders. The PMS-TF project provides an example of how EMC’s Private Sector Development work allows us to better understand the challenges facing investors.