ASEAN officials review trade and IT problems<\/p>\n
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AP): Senior economic officials from the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations opened three days of
\ndiscussions Tuesday to review problems in putting in place a
\nregional free trade area and improving capacity for information
\ntechnology industries.<\/p>\n
Malaysia, which has spent the two decades building up a
\nnational car industry, has sought flexibility from other members
\nof the ASEAN Free Trade Area over original requirement to drop
\nvirtually all tariff barriers in internal trade by 2003, saying
\nthat its automotive industry needs at least two additional years
\nof protection to be strong enough to adapt.<\/p>\n
International automakers have invested heavily in Thailand in
\nthe past several years with the goal of exporting cars under
\ntariff-free rules to other members of the 10-nation grouping,
\nwhich also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar,
\nthe Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The officials, who are mulling economic issues ahead of a
\nmeeting of regional finance minister in Hanoi next month and a
\nsummit of ASEAN leaders in Brunei in November, were also
\nreviewing projects to increase the infrastructure and legal
\nframework for information technology in the region.<\/p>\n
They were also to consider progress made in plans for citizens
\nof member countries to apply for visas via the Internet and
\nmaking travel easier between the nations, and to discuss
\nintegrating trade and investments in the region and narrowing the
\ngap in development between rich and poor member states.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-officials-review-trade-and-it-problems-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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