Morocco Tops List of 38 Markets
Report Underscores Need for Transparency, Consistency in ICT Regulations

WASHINGTON – In a new report, global tech trade association ITI finds that markets with increased transparency, incorporation of international standards, and acceptance of international test reports are ideal for ICT companies seeking to do business, spur growth, and drive innovation. In its 2020 Global Benchmark Report, ICT Product Safety Regulations and their Impact on the Ease of Doing Business, ITI evaluates 38 countries’ requirements for ICT product safety regulations and shares insights to help regulators achieve their public policy and safety objectives through good regulatory practices that eliminate unnecessary and unjustified impediments on trade, manufacturing, and supply chain operations.

“Transparent and consistent regulatory practices are essential for a company’s ability to do business,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman. “However, ICT companies must contend with a complex landscape of technical regulations around the globe. Not surprisingly, regulatory compliance is a critical factor in whether companies succeed or fail.

“ITI’s report aims to help policymakers and regulators reap the full benefits of trade and investment in IT innovations and to better understand the impacts of their technical regulatory requirements on business operations,” Oxman continued. “Improving the ease of doing business supports a stable, global regulatory environment, and creates new societal and economic growth opportunities for their companies and citizens who adopt and leverage the innovations created by the tech sector.”

In its report, ITI scored 38 countries and the European Union (EU) according to how their product safety regulations for ICT equipment, with respect to international standards, impact the ability of manufacturers to import and sell their products around the globe.

  • Morocco ranked as one of the highest scored countries in the broad scope category, mainly due to its increased transparency efforts, incorporation of international standards, and acceptance of international test reports. Other countries in Africa also ranked highly for similar reasons, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
  • India ranked last in the broad scope category, due to country-specific requirements in its Compulsory Registration Order.
  • Among the countries that impose safety requirements for a narrow scope of ICT equipment (for example, AC adapters or power cords only), Australia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Singapore led with perfect scores, while Chile ranked lowest.

ITI concludes that the ease of doing business in most countries could be greatly improved by embracing international standards and approaches to product safety and following good regulatory practices, including:

  • Early and transparent notifications;
  • Adequate transition times;
  • Risk-based approaches to regulation and conformity assessment; and
  • Avoidance of unjustified impediments that impact trade, manufacturing and supply chain operations.

ITI also recommends positive steps for governments to use when considering new product safety regulatory policies, including:

  • Establish a clear and objective safety goal that can best be achieved through regulation;
  • Assess and seek to minimize the impact of the regulatory measure on both market access and on the manufacturers and importers that are subject to the regulation; and
  • Encourage investment and the creation of an open environment for innovative and new technologies and foster competition among the players in the sector, all of which have the desired effect to improve consumer choice and lower costs.

Read the full report here.