DUSHABE, May 26, Asia-Plus — Mr. Johannes Lynn, Executive Director of the Wolfensohn Initiative at the Brookings Institution (Washington) considers that customs and border barriers impede development of trade in Central Asia.
“Inter-regional trade has not yet entered a higher level,” Mr. Lynn remarked telling a videoconference held yesterday with participation of representatives from civil societies of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. According to him, Central Asian states experts are limited to natural resources, “while there are potentials for exporting finished products.”
“The main reasons for poor development of trade are restrictions on running business in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as problems with cashing currency, crossing border, corruption in customs services,” Mr. Lynn says, noting that that even for carrying out domestic trade businessmen have to cross international borders.
He also noted that visa regime, underdeveloped transportation sector, in particular monopolized rail transportation, big problems with aerial communication and few international flights also made activities of businessmen difficult.
“All these factors limit inflow of investments as well as production of export goods,” stressed the expert, “At the same time, some countries in the region, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have fewer problems with crossing border.”
According to Mr. Lynn, it is necessary to improve all transport and trade infrastructure in the region. “It will allow businessmen to develop and associate with each other freely,” said Johannes Lynn, “Russia and China could take part in development of the region and opening of a direct automotive communication between China and Tajikistan could be come good example of regional integration.”
International experts also added that with tackling all those problems impeding development, the countries of the region could increase their revenues by 50%-100% in coming decade.
