Ministers adopt APEC action plans<\/p>\n
By Prapti Widinugraheni & Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
MANILA (JP): Ministers of the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum adopted yesterday a plan of action which
\nwill put the 18 member countries on a path towards free trade.<\/p>\n
The Manila Action Plan for APEC (MAPA) was adopted at the
\nopening day of a two-day joint meeting of APEC foreign and trade
\nministers.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Production and
\nDistribution Hartarto described MAPA as the first step in the
\nimplementation of trade liberalization in the Asia-Pacific
\nregion.<\/p>\n
The action plans will be effective as of Jan. 1, 1997.<\/p>\n
APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
\nKong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New
\nGuinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan,
\nThailand, and the United States.<\/p>\n
APEC leaders at a meeting in Bogor, West Java, in 1994 agreed
\non a free trade deadline of 2010 for developed countries and 2020
\nfor developing ones.<\/p>\n
MAPA will reveal detailed plans of how member countries would
\ncut tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and investment.<\/p>\n
Members are expected to continuously improve their individual
\naction plans in the coming years.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's plan of action reinforces commitment to trade
\nliberalization by reducing tariffs on almost all commodities to
\nbetween zero and 5 percent by the year 2003, Hartarto said.<\/p>\n
\"I think only a few countries presented a program of tariff
\nreduction which expands until 2003,\" he said as he touted
\nIndonesia's 37-page action plan.<\/p>\n
Hartarto admitted that tariffs on agricultural and automotive
\ncommodities will be higher than the 5 percent stipulated. \"But it
\nwon't be too high,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hartarto was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Alatas at
\nyesterday's ministerial meeting.<\/p>\n
MAPA consists of four parts: The first is an introduction and
\nhighlight of member countries individual action plans; the second
\nis a compilation of their respective action plans in full; the
\nthird is a collective action plan in areas which will facilitate
\nbusiness and cut the cost of doing business in the region; the
\nfinal part focuses on economic and technical cooperation.<\/p>\n
Full details of MAPA will be unveiled during APEC's informal
\nleadership meeting in Subic on Monday.<\/p>\n
Separately spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister, Hiroshi
\nHashimoto, said Tokyo's action plan included major steps to
\nbreaking down national barriers.<\/p>\n
\"It takes Japan as far as it can go at this moment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Japan's 92-page action plan specifies a reduction of average
\ntariffs to 1.5 percent on some 6,700 industrial products.<\/p>\n
Some 290 fishery products will have an average tariff of 4.1
\npercent, 170 forestry products will have an average tariff of one
\npercent and 1,500 agricultural products will drop to an average
\nof 9.3 percent.<\/p>\n
Furthermore Japan pledges not to apply non-tariff measures
\nthat are not justified under international agreements.<\/p>\n
Three of the 18 APEC members -- the Philippines, South Korea
\nand Australia -- yesterday agreed to implement a visa free card
\nfor accredited businessmen to ease entry into their countries.<\/p>\n
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary R. Severino said he
\nhoped other APEC members will follow suit.<\/p>\n
The card is intended to save businessmen the hassle of
\nobtaining visas when making short intra-APEC business trips.<\/p>\n
Hartarto said that even without such a card, Indonesia already
\nfacilitates business travels into the country by giving \"on
\narrival\" service at major entry points.<\/p>\n
Earlier, when opening the ministerial meeting, Philippine
\nPresident Fidel Ramos urged the forum to begin developing a
\nculture of cooperation to sustain the forum's many gains.<\/p>\n
\"I am convinced that liberalizing trade and facilitating trade
\nand investment alone cannot do it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ramos said it was necessary for APEC to come up with a
\nmechanism for binding the diverse Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
He stressed the use of economic and technical cooperation to
\nstrengthen the culture of cooperation needed to build a community
\nof APEC economies.<\/p>\n
The ministers will end their meeting today with a joint
\nstatement. The series of APEC meetings will continue on Monday
\nwith a leaders summit in Subic.<\/p>\n
Soeharto -- Page 2<\/p>\n
Business -- Page 8<\/p>\n
Ministers -- Page 9<\/p>\n
Members -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministers-adopt-apec-action-plans-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }