The support programme aimed at contributing to the facilitation of the free movement of business persons and professionals among the APEI countries; enhancing and deepening cooperation in trade in services; and enhancing the business climate for increased investment and trade among APEI Member States.

Three-fold purposes: To contribute to the facilitation of the free movement of business persons and professionals among the APEI countries; to enhance and deepen cooperation in sharing information in trade in services; to enhance the business climate for increased investment and trade among APEI Member States.

Four-fold outputs:

• Framework for the implementation of the APEI Travel Card for Professionals and Business Persons;
• Peer review of the framework for implementation of the APEI Travel Card for Professionals;
• Framework for the implementation of the Mutual Recognition Agreement for Accountants and Auditors;
• Compendium of Architects Regulations in APEI countries.

Intervention areas:

• Market access opportunities for Trade in services;
• Support to intra-regional development of supply of professional services;
• Development of regional disciplines and regulations in services;
• Mutual recognition agreements;
• Business facilitation;
• Institutional development

Purpose 1: To contribute to the facilitation of the free movement of business persons and professionals among the APEI countries

• Comprehensive Project Concept Methodology consisted of (1) consultations, (2) Questionnaire and (3) desk research/analysis conducted;
• The Business Facilitation Framework (BFF) so that the suggested APEI Business Travel Card (ABTC) information platform would be integrated in the proposed BFF designed;
• Architecture for a forum for information sharing and policy deliberation on the ABTC comprised of Business Mobility Group and ABTC Working Group drafted and submitted to the project beneficiary;
• Draft Operating Framework of the ABTC developed;
• International Best Practices in the area of business travel facilitation with policy recommendations developed;
• Reflection paper on future disciplines for a deeper level of integration in the area of the movement of business persons and professionals prepared;
• Architecture for a forum for information sharing and policy deliberation on the ABTC designed;
• In-house peer review / training session on the proposed framework and architecture for an information-sharing forum carried out;
• Training and Validation workshops for the Implementation of the Key Trade Components of RMCE APEI Programmes successfully carried out.

Purpose 2: To enhance cooperation in trade in services and sharing of information

• Framework for the monitoring and implementation of the MRA developed;
• Compendium of regulations on architectural services in APEI countries compiled.

Purpose 3: To enhance the business climate for increased investment and trade

• APEI Business Facilitation Framework developed and validated by the Programme beneficiary;
• Intra-APEI capacity-building and peer-to-peer exchanges prepared and validated;
• The Map of the state of play of priority sectors in each APEI Member State prepared and validated;
• Desk research into the business environment and trade competitiveness of APEI countries carried out;
• Exploration of OECD, ASEAN, APEC and SADC peer-to-peer review mechanisms and business facilitation frameworks undertaken;
• Information gathering through three questionnaires and two workshops meetings with Mauritian stakeholders successfully held;
• Desk research supplemented with information gathering through face-to-face meetings with Mauritian stakeholders and questionnaire undertaken;
• Matrix developed based on the Matrices of Agreed Priority Areas for Reforms submitted by Mauritius, Mozambique, Malawi and Seychelles to the RMCE;
• Matrix of offers and requests for capacity building prepared and validated;
• The draft framework for capacity building and institutional development produced and validated.