About RT4D

The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by both the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.

Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.

The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.

Project Summary

The RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), implemented RT4D Facility, aims to support AMS to realise the full benefits of RCEP through the provision of capacity-building support and access to technical expertise.

The following project is approved under RISP.

• Project Name: Towards Greater Efficiency in Customs Clearance through Enhanced Time Release Study Practices
• Project Objective: This project will support ASEAN Member States (AMS) to understand the current challenges with conducting a TRS as well as best practice approaches that can be used to increase efficiency throughout the trade clearance process. The objectives of this project are to:

o Enhance the capability and capacity of DGCE Indonesia to address pressure points in the trade clearance process by examining the experiences of other agencies as well as private sector actors.

o Share practices, experiences and lessons learnt with other AMS officials who have responsibility for trade clearance processes and TRS activities.

o Support beneficiaries to achieve RCEP objectives, and in particular Articles 4.17 and 4.19.