Trade facilitation committees convene |29 April 2026

The National Committee for Trade Facilitation (NCTF) during its 18th meeting

Trade facilitation committees convene

The National Monitoring Committee (NMC), under the umbrella of the National Committee for Trade Facilitation (NCTF), held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA). The session was chaired by Natalie Edmond, principal secretary for the Trade department, in her capacity as chairperson of the Committee.

This first meeting laid the foundation for the committee’s future work. Members received a presentation from the secretariat on the role of the NMC, Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs), and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs). The committee also reviewed draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling NTBs and a proposed reporting template for National NTB Focal Points. Emphasis was placed on the need for greater sensitisation and awareness programmes for the business community, as well as capacity building for committee members on NTMs and NTBs.

The NMC meeting was followed by the 18th meeting of the NCTF. Key discussions focused on the progress of the ASYCUDA World system upgrade, implementation of the National Single Window, the Port Victoria Management Information System (PVMIS), and updates on the port development plan.

The committee also noted several ad-hoc meetings held since the last session to address urgent trade facilitation issues, including port congestion, commercial port constraints, coordination with shipping lines on manifest lodging, and delays in releasing Less-than-Container Load (LCL) containers at seaports.

The next NMC meeting is scheduled for June 4, 2026, while the NCTF will reconvene on September 10, 2026.

Press release – Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade & Investment