ASEAN to open up 11 'priority sectors'<\/p>\n
Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Economics ministers of the 10 member nations of ASEAN are
\nexpected to strengthen their commitment to push for the
\nliberalization of trade and investment activities in 11 key
\neconomic sectors by 2007 when they gather here for a three-day
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Director of regional cooperation at the Ministry of Industry
\nand Trade Eliver Radjagoekgoek, however, said on Tuesday that the
\nministers gathering for the 36th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)
\nconference would also agree to temporarily exclude certain
\nproducts of the above \"priority sectors\" from the liberalization
\ndrive.<\/p>\n
The temporary exclusion would expire by 2010, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The (ASEAN) secretariat will examine whether each country's
\n(negative) list has met the agreed requirement,\" Eliver said on
\nthe sidelines of the first day of the ASEAN Senior Economic
\nOfficials Meeting (SEOM), which precedes the AEM meet.<\/p>\n
During the leaders' summit of the Association of South East
\nAsian in Bali last year, a regional grouping agreed to create the
\nASEAN Economic Community in 2020, where there would be a free
\nflow of investment, trade and labor within a region of some 500
\nmillion people. It was also agreed to accelerate liberalization
\nin the 11 priority sectors, ranging from the automotive to the
\nagriculture sector.<\/p>\n
Opening up of the 11 sectors is expected to boost trade within
\nthe region. Despite the start of a gradual implementation of the
\nASEAN Free Trade Area in 1992, intraregional trade so far
\naccounts for only about 23 percent of the region's total foreign
\ntrade. In comparison, intraregional trade within the European
\nUnion was around 75 percent, while the figure for the \"Mercosur\"
\nregion was 35 percent last year. Mercosur is a regional trade
\ngrouping of South American countries including Brazil, Argentina,
\nParaguay, Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia.<\/p>\n
The planned liberalization measures will include cutting
\nimport tariffs under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff
\n(CEPT) facility, streamlining customs procedures and adopting
\nshared product standards by 2007 for the six original ASEAN
\nmembers and by 2012 for the four newer members.<\/p>\n
ASEAN original member were Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Indonesia and Brunei, while Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
\nand Myanmar joined later.<\/p>\n
Despite the seemingly upbeat sentiment of trade officials,
\nsome experts said that implementing the liberalization goals
\nwould not be easy, particularly in the agriculture sector.<\/p>\n
One of the problems with the sector is the long list of more
\nthan 1,200 products, compared with about 80 products in the
\nelectronics sector. This would make things more complicated.<\/p>\n
During the AEM meeting, ministers will also discuss the trade
\ndisputes settlement mechanism, rules of origin and hold a dialog
\nwith ministers from the region's key trading partners, including
\nChina, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the
\nEuropean Union.<\/p>\n
ASEAN is also aiming to create free trade deals with these
\nregions.<\/p>\n
After the SEOM, ASEAN officials will gather for the AFTA
\ncouncil meeting on Thursday, which will include discussion of
\nmeasures to push for the implementation of a fully fledged, free
\ntrade area in the region.<\/p>\n
The officials will also hold the ASEAN Investment Area meeting
\non the same day.<\/p>\n
ASEAN 11 priority sectors<\/p>\n
Priority Sectors Coordinator<\/p>\n
1. Agriculture Myanmar<\/p>\n
2. Fisheries Myanmar<\/p>\n
3. Automotive Indonesia<\/p>\n
4. Wood-based products Indonesia<\/p>\n
5. Rubber-based products Malaysia<\/p>\n
6. Textile and apparel Malaysia<\/p>\n
7. Electronics Philippines<\/p>\n
8. Air transport Thailand<\/p>\n
9. Tourism Thailand<\/p>\n
10. E-commerce Singapore<\/p>\n
11. Healthcare Singapore<\/p>\n
Source: Ministry of Industry and Trade<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-to-open-up-11-priority-sectors-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }