Despite their frequent denials these days, the world multilateral organizations (OECD, ILO, UN, EU, WORLD BANK, and WTO) are either attacking EPZs or ignoring EPZ success in poor country economic development. WTO at Doha proposed serious reduction Jan. 1, 2002 of rights of poor countries and their workers to offer tax and other incentives to export industry. Continuation of these attacks, if not opposed strongly now, will result in the disappearance of Free Trade Zones and Economic Processing Zones from the developing world where they are proven reliable expanders of Trade Capacity.
Under high risk conditions of poverty, tax incentives cost countries little or nothing, are easy to administer and get excellent results as proven during the last 50 years in 40 countries with annual Gross National Income per capita below US$10,000. The record of 1995-2000 shows that exports to the US and EU from 102 countries with EPZs was almost $400 Billion more than those of 123 countries without EPZs (Journal of The Flagstaff Institute April, 2003).
Since the attackers and ignorers are all multilateral international organizations, a counterattack of global proportions is a necessity. No single zone, city, state or country – nor regional grouping of countries -- can lead a coordinated global effort.
With 25 years experience and the recognition of all multilateral agencies as an expert on EPZs, WEPZA is qualified and actively designed for leadership. With its record of creating a network of 60 EPZs as members with activities in 66 countries, it is by far the leading authority on EPZs in the World. At WTO Doha, we energized the delay to 2009.
We want to add to our network information, advice and funding from two beneficiaries of EPZs which we have not yet approached – the companies with operations in EPZs and the 40 million workers (ILO recent estimate) in offshore EPZs who take home pay for their efforts. These two are major winners from EPZ activity around the world.