ASEAN agrees to ease flow of vehicles<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): ASEAN member-states agreed on Thursday to
\nhasten cross-border movement of commercial vehicles and goods as
\nthe group launched work on a blueprint to bolster regional
\ntransport systems.<\/p>\n
Transport ministers from ASEAN signed an agreement to
\nrecognize each other's commercial vehicle inspection standards
\nand endorsed another pact to hasten movement of goods while in
\ntransit within the region.<\/p>\n
They told a joint news conference that the pacts would reduce
\ncosts and time and enhance trade and the free flow of goods
\nwithin the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n
Singapore's Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan said the
\nregional economic crisis stemming from rapid currency
\ndepreciations since mid-1997 made it more urgent for ASEAN to
\nenhance its economic competitiveness through cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"The environment has changed significantly. The crisis has
\nrequired us, in fact forced us, to have a greater sense of
\nurgency to (enhance) linkages within ASEAN,\" Mah said.<\/p>\n
\"Our objective is to have a freer movement (of commercial
\nvehicles and goods) across borders not just on a bilateral basis
\nbut also on a multilateral basis,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The ministers also directed ASEAN senior officials to
\nformulate a regionwide transport blueprint for the 1999-2004
\nperiod, incorporating plans to liberalize air freight services
\nand develop a cruise industry.<\/p>\n
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
\nthe Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
At the end of their two-day meeting Thursday, the ministers
\nsigned the \"agreement on the recognition of commercial vehicle
\ninspection certificates of goods vehicles and public services
\nvehicles issued by ASEAN member countries.\"<\/p>\n
Mah, who chaired the talks, said that with the agreement, to
\nbe implemented by the end of the year, the nine ASEAN member
\neconomies would recognize one another's commercial vehicle
\ninspection certificates.<\/p>\n
Before this, each economy reserved the right to inspect
\nforeign-registered vehicles for smoke emission and other aspects
\nof road worthiness, officials said.<\/p>\n
Under the new procedures, operators of lorries and other goods
\nvehicles as well as public buses from ASEAN countries would no
\nlonger be required to send their vehicles for inspection checks
\nbefore they entered another member country.<\/p>\n
\"We are going to save time and money,\" deputy Malaysian
\ntransport minister Mohamed Ali Rustam said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Communications Minister Giri Suseno Hadihardjono
\nsaid there were no immediate plans to extend the agreement to
\npassenger cars and motorcycles as some member-nations did not
\nconduct regular checks on private vehicles.<\/p>\n
The ministers also endorsed the \"ASEAN framework agreement on
\nthe facilitation of goods in transit\" which will be signed at the
\nsixth ASEAN summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on December 15-16.<\/p>\n
The key objective of the pact was to facilitate the movement
\nof goods in transit among ASEAN countries, including the
\nsimplification of all transit transport procedures and
\nrequirements, and minimizing of unnecessary delays or
\nrestrictions, the ministers said.<\/p>\n
Mah said that the ministers held a \"brainstorming\" session
\nThursday on the ASEAN Plan of Action in Transport blueprint
\ntargeted for completion in August 1999.<\/p>\n
The plan would consider, among others, the detailed study for
\nliberalizing air freight services in ASEAN, cooperation in
\nmaritime training, strengthening port cooperation and sustainable
\nurban transport development and road safety.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-agrees-to-ease-flow-of-vehicles-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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