Title page 1

Contents 3

Acknowledgements 4

Executive summary 5

Introduction 10

SECTION 1. Good regulatory practices to facilitate trade in services 14

Conceptual basis and early trade activation 16

Work on good regulatory practice for services in the WTO 17

The WTO disciplines on services domestic regulation 19

GRPs: Beyond the WTO disciplines on services domestic regulation 22

GRPs in preferential trade agreements 22

Economic benefits from implementing GRPs for services trade 27

SECTION 2. Fourteen good regulatory practices to facilitate trade in services 38

1. Processing of authorization applications 41

2. Electronic submission of applications 49

3. Online publication of information 55

4. Single window 63

5. Authorization fees 71

6. The governance of regulators: independence and impartiality of decision‑making 81

7. Stakeholder engagement 93

8. Enquiry points 103

9. Standards in services 111

10. Review of administrative decisions 123

11. Assessment of qualifications 131

12. Regulatory impact assessment 145

13. Domestic inter-agency coordination 155

14. International regulatory cooperation 163

SECTION 3. Learning from experience: Case study insights on success factors and recurring challenges 174

Overview of case studies 176

Cross-cutting insights from the case studies 176

GRP aspects of the case studies 181

Costa Rica: Single window for investment 183

Overview 185

Costa Rica's economy and the importance of the services sector 185

GRP commitments in Costa Rica's services trade agreements 187

Investment and business licensing reform 187

Next steps 195

Lessons learned 196

Conclusion 196

Indonesia: Online submission system - risk‑based approach 203

Overview 205

Indonesia's economy and the importance of the services sector 205

GRP commitments in Indonesia's services trade agreements 205

Business licensing reforms 207

Next steps 215

Lessons learned 216

Conclusion 217

The Philippines: Ease of Doing Business Act 221

Overview 223

The Philippine economy and the importance of the services sector 223

GRP commitments in the Philippines' services trade agreements 223

Ease of Doing Business reform in the Philippines 225

Next steps in strengthening the EoDB reform 233

Lessons learned 234

Conclusion 235

Thailand: Ease of Doing Business reforms 241

Overview 243

Thailand's economy and the importance of the services sector 243

GRP commitments in Thailand's services trade agreements 243

Ease of Doing Business reforms in Thailand 245

Next steps 255

Lessons learned 256

Conclusion 257

SECTION 4. The diagnostic and reform planning tool 263

Abbreviations 265

Tables 210

Table 1. Illustration of risk classification in the tourism sector under Government Regulation No. 5/2021 210

Figures 18

SECTION 1. Good regulatory practices to facilitate trade in services 18

Figure 1. GRP principles as reflected in the GATS 18

Figure 2. Overview of SDR Disciplines 21

Figure 3. GRPs beyond the GATS and the SDR Disciplines 23

Figure 4. Prevalence of GRPs in PTAs, by income groups 25

Figure 5. Prevalence of GRPs in PTAs, by regional groups 26

Figure 6. Projected per cent change in macroeconomic aggregates, by income groups 28

1. Processing of authorization applications 43

Figure 1. GRPs on processing of applications in the SDR Disciplines 43

Figure 2. Comparison of GRPs on processing of applications between the SDR Disciplines, the EU Services Directive and Morocco's... 46

3. Online publication of information 58

Figure 1. Publication-related GRPs in the GATS and the SDR Disciplines 58

Figure 2. Emerging GRPs aspects in the area of publication 59

4. Single window 65

Figure 1. Traditional systems for submission of application v single windows 65

5. Authorization fees 74

Figure 1. GRPs in the area of authorization fees 74

7. Stakeholder engagement 96

Figure 1. Linkages between GRPs on stakeholder engagement and the SDR Disciplines 96

8. Enquiry points 104

Figure 1. Enquiry points - Benefits and rationale 104

Figure 2. GRPs in the area of enquiry points 106

9. Standards in services 112

Figure 1. Key benefits of standards 112

Figure 2. Main features of standards 116

Figure 3. Development of technical standards - comparison between the TBT Agreement and the SDR Disciplines 117

10. Review of administrative decisions 125

Figure 1. Review of administrative decisions 125

11. Assessment of qualifications 134

Figure 1. Frequency of examinations in selected WTO members and professions (2025) 134

Figure 2. GRPs on assessment of qualifications - Comparison between the GATS and the SDR Disciplines 136

Figure 3. Emerging GRPs in assessment of qualifications 137

12. Regulatory impact assessment 147

Figure 1. Main RIA steps 147

Figure 2. RIA key features 148

GRP aspects of the case studies 182

Figure 1. GRP aspects reflected in the case studies 182

Costa Rica: Single window for investment 186

Figure 1. Commercial services trade between 2015 and 2024, and sectoral composition in 2024 186

Figure 2. Costa Rica's digitally delivered services trade between 2015 and 2024, and its sectoral composition in 2024 186

Figure 3. Timeline of the development of the VUI institutional framework 189

Figure 4. Key GRP principles embedded in the VUI 191

Figure 5. VUI's FENIX methodology 192

Figure 6. Catalogue of VUI procedures and competent authorities 193

Indonesia: Online submission system - risk‑based approach 206

Figure 1. Commercial services trade between 2015 and 2024, and sectoral composition in 2024 206

Figure 2. Digitally delivered services trade between 2015 and 2024, and its sectoral composition in 2024 206

Figure 3. The OSS-RBA subsystems 209

Figure 4. General Description of the OSS-RBA System 212

Figure 5. Number of NIBs issued through OSS-RBA 213

The Philippines: Ease of Doing Business Act 224

Figure 1. Commercial services trade between 2015 and 2024, and sectoral composition in 2024 224

Figure 2. Digitally delivered services trade between 2015 and 2024, and its sectoral composition in 2024 224

Figure 3. ARTA's powers and functions 228

Figure 4. GRP elements embedded in RA 11032 230

Thailand: Ease of Doing Business reforms 244

Figure 1. Commercial services trade between 2015 and 2024, and sectoral composition in 2024 244

Figure 2. Digitally delivered services trade between 2015 and 2024, and its sectoral composition in 2024 244

Figure 3. Key milestones in embedding GRP elements in Thailand's regulatory framework 249

Figure 4. Application Submission Workflow through the Biz Portal 251

Figure 5. Backend Processing Workflow for Licensing Applications through the Biz Portal 252

Boxes 24

SECTION 1. Good regulatory practices to facilitate trade in services 24

Box 1. WTO research on the prevalence of GRP obligations in preferential trade agreements 24

Box 2. The WTO-World Bank Services Trade Policy Database - data on GRP implementation 27

Box 3. Implementing GRPs in domestic regulatory frameworks - Key reasons why 29

Box 4. Making artificial intelligence work in implementing good regulatory practices in services trade: opportunities, risks, and safeguards 30

2. Electronic submission of applications 51

Box 1. Available databases providing information on electronic portals 51

4. Single window 65

Box 1. The 2020 OECD Best Practice Principles for One-Stop Shops for Citizens and Business 65

Box 2. UNCTAD digital government programme 68

6. The governance of regulators: independence and impartiality of decision‑making 83

Box 1. The OECD best practice principles for regulatory policy: the governance of regulators 83

7. Stakeholder engagement 99

Box 1. Public engagement in policy making in the World Bank GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 99

8. Enquiry points 107

Box 1. Notifications of enquiry points under the GATS 107

10. Review of administrative decisions 125

Box 1. The right to challenge decisions among OECD member countries 125

12. Regulatory impact assessment 146

Box 1. The 2020 OECD principles on regulatory impact assessment 146

Box 2. Regulatory experimentation as a tool for innovative and evidence-based policy-making 150

14. International regulatory cooperation 165

Box 1. The 2021 OECD best practice principles on IRC 165

Box 2. Prominent transgovernmental networks engaging in IRC 167