Economic Integration in the Lower Congo Region : Opening the Kinshasa-Brazzaville Bottleneck

collection.link.5

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/9

collection.name.5

Policy Research Working Papers

dc.contributor.author

Brulhart, Marius

dc.contributor.author

Hoppe, Mombert

dc.date.accessioned

2012-03-19T18:06:42Z

dc.date.available

2012-03-19T18:06:42Z

dc.date.issued

2011-12-01

dc.date.lastModified

2021-04-23T14:02:11Z

dc.description.abstract

This working paper assesses cross-border
economic integration in the Lower Congo region. It focuses
on the Kinshasa-Brazzaville conurbation, which is projected
to become Africa’s largest urban area by 2025, and is
already serving as the gateway to large hinterlands. Despite
their size and proximity, formal economic exchanges between
the two cities are extremely limited. The volume of recorded
passenger travel between Kinshasa and Brazzaville
corresponds to about one-fifth of the volume of traffic
between East and West Berlin during the time of the Berlin
Wall, and formal trade volumes are derisorily small. As a
consequence, the authors find evidence of statistically
significant differences in retail prices, indicating
unexploited scope for cross-river arbitrage. Through a
survey of firms, they find that local traders perceive
substantial scope for increasing cross-border economic
activity if cross-river trade costs were reduced. Trade in
locally produced goods and by small firms would especially
benefit from such reductions. Existing high trade costs
mainly result from a lack of competition in cross-river
transport services, which are dominated by a duopoly of
state-controlled operators. High administrative border
costs, exacerbated by the presence of multiple government
agencies at the border, act as a further obstacle.
Liberalization of cross-river transport and customs reform
could yield large economic benefits for local producers and consumers.

en

dc.identifier

http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111212144526

dc.identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3678

dc.language

English

dc.relation.ispartofseries

Policy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5909

dc.rights

CC BY 3.0 IGO

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World Bank

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/

dc.subject

ACCIDENTS

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ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS

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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

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AIRPORT

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ARBITRAGE

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ARTERY

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AVERAGE TARIFFS

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AVERAGE TRADE

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BOND

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BORDER CROSSINGS

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BORDER TRAFFIC

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BRIBERY

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BRIDGE

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CAPITAL GOODS

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CAPITAL STOCK

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CAR

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CHANGES IN TRADE

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CLIENT BASES

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COMMON MARKET

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COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

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CONCESSIONS

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CONFIDENTIALITY

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CONSUMER GOODS

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CONSUMERS

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COST OF TRANSPORT

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CROSS-BORDER EXPANSION

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CROSS-BORDER TRADE

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CROSSING

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CUSTOMER SERVICE

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CUSTOMS

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CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION

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CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES

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CUSTOMS DUTIES

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CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

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CUSTOMS PROCEDURES

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CUSTOMS UNION

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CUSTOMS UNIONS

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DEMOGRAPHIC

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DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

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DEVELOPMENT POLICY

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DIESEL

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DIESEL ENGINES

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DIVIDENDS

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DUOPOLY

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ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

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ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

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ECONOMIC POLICY

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ECONOMIC RELATIONS

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ECONOMIC RENTS

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ECONOMIC STRUCTURES

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ELASTICITIES

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ELASTICITY

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ELASTICITY OF TRADE

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ENTRY POINT

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ENTRY POINTS

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EUROPEAN UNION

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EXCHANGE RATES

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EXCISE DUTIES

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EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS

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EXPANSION OF TRADE

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EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

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EXPORT PROCESSING

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EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE

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EXPORT SECTORS

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EXPORTS

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EXTERNAL TRADE

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FARES

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FERRIES

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FINANCE CORPORATION

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FLAT FARE

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

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FOREIGN MARKETS

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FRAUD

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FREE TRADE

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FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

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FREE TRADE AREA

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FREIGHT

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FREQUENT TRAVELERS

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FUEL

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FUEL COSTS

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GASOLINE

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GDP

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GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES

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GOOD TRANSPORT

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GOODS IN TRANSIT

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GROWTH RATES

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HAULAGE COMPANIES

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HIGH TRADE BARRIERS

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HIGH TRANSPORT

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HOME MARKET

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HUMAN CAPITAL

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IMPACT OF TRADE

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IMPORT COSTS

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IMPORT DUTIES

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IMPORT PRICES

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INCOME

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INDIVIDUAL FIRMS

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INDIVIDUAL MARKET

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INEFFICIENCY

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INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

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INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

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INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

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INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

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INSPECTION

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INSURANCE

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INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

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INTERNATIONAL BANK

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INTERNATIONAL FINANCE

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

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JOURNEY

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JOURNEYS

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LOCAL CURRENCY

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MARGINAL COST

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MARGINAL REVENUE

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MARKET INEFFICIENCY

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MARKET INTEGRATION

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MARKET PRICES

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MARKET SEGMENTATION

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MARKET STRUCTURE

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MEASURE OF TRADE

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MISMANAGEMENT

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MODE OF TRANSPORT

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MONOPOLY

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NEIGHBORHOODS

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PASSENGER TRAFFIC

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PASSENGER TRANSPORT

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PASSENGER TRAVEL

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PASSENGERS

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PATTERNS OF TRADE

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PAYMENT POINTS

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PENSION

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PENSION LIABILITIES

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PENSIONERS

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POLICE

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POLICY MAKERS

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POLICY RESEARCH

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POPULATION DENSITY

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PORT AUTHORITY

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PORT FACILITIES

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PREFERENTIAL TRADE

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PREFERENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENT

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PRICE DIFFERENTIALS

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PRIVATE TRANSPORT

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PRIVATIZATION

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PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

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RAIL

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RAIL FREIGHT

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RAIL LINK

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RAILWAY

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RAILWAY LINE

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RAPID INDUSTRIALIZATION

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RED TAPE

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REGIONAL AGREEMENTS

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REGIONAL INTEGRATION

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REGIONAL INTEGRATION AGREEMENTS

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REGIONAL TRADE

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REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS

dc.subject

REGIONALISM

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REGRESSION ANALYSIS

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REGULATORY BARRIERS

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RETAIL MARKETS

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ROAD

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ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

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ROAD TRANSPORT

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ROUTE

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ROUTES

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SAFETY

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SECURITY CONCERNS

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SPECIALIZATION

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STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

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STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY

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SUBURBS

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TARIFF REVENUE

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TARIFF SCHEDULE

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TAX

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TAX SYSTEM

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TRADE BALANCE

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TRADE BARRIERS

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TRADE COSTS

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TRADE DATA

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TRADE EXPANSION

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TRADE FACILITATION

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TRADE FLOWS

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TRADE INTEGRATION

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TRADE LIBERALIZATION

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TRADE ORGANIZATIONS

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TRADE POLICY

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TRADE VOLUMES

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TRADING ACTIVITY

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TRAFFIC VOLUMES

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TRANSIT

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TRANSIT TRADE

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TRANSPORT

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TRANSPORT COSTS

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TRANSPORT FACILITIES

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TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

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TRANSPORT MARKET

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TRANSPORT OPERATORS

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TRANSPORT SERVICES

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TRANSPORTS

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TRAVELERS

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TREATIES

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TRIP

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TRIPS

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TRUCK DELIVERY

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TRUE

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TURNOVER

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URBANIZATION

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VALUE ADDED

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VEHICLE

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VEHICLES

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VOLUME OF TRADE

dc.subject

VOLUME OF TRAFFIC

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WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS

dc.title

Economic Integration in the Lower Congo Region : Opening the Kinshasa-Brazzaville Bottleneck

en

okr.date.disclosure

2011-12-01

okr.doctype

Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper

okr.docurl

http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111212144526

okr.globalpractice

Transport and ICT

okr.googlescholar.linkpresent

yes

okr.identifier.doi

10.1596/1813-9450-5909

okr.identifier.externaldocumentum

000158349_20111212144526

okr.identifier.internaldocumentum

15545293

okr.identifier.report

WPS5909

okr.language.supported

en

okr.pdfurl

http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/12/12/000158349_20111212144526/Rendered/PDF/WPS5909.pdf

en

okr.region.country

Congo, Republic of

okr.region.country

Congo, Democratic Republic of

okr.topic

Transport

okr.unit

Development Research Group (DECRG)

okr.volume

1 of 1

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