'S'pore won't be trojan horse for illegal goods'<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Singapore<\/p>\n
A top minister said Friday that Singapore's port system - one
\nof the largest transshipment hubs in the world - mustn't become a
\nconduit for the movement of endangered species, weapons of mass
\ndestruction or illegal goods.<\/p>\n
About 80 percent of the 15 million containers that enter the
\ncity-state's port annually are just passing through, and only a
\nfraction of them face security inspection. An increase in global
\nterrorist activity has raised fears that containers could easily
\nconceal weapons or even terrorists themselves.<\/p>\n
\"We need to ... ensure that Singapore does not become a
\nconvenient point for unscrupulous traders to transship illegal
\ngoods, such as endangered species, or worse, weapons of mass
\ndestruction,\" said Lee Hsien Loong, the island's finance minister
\nand deputy prime minister.<\/p>\n
Environmental groups have claimed that Singapore's lax laws
\nenabled the transshipment of millions of dollars of illegal
\nIndonesian timber last year - a charge the government denies.<\/p>\n
Singapore recently merged its customs and immigration
\ndepartments into the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
\nand placed it under the Ministry of Home Affairs to help tackle
\nterrorist threats with stricter border controls.<\/p>\n
Lee, speaking at the launch of the new Singapore Customs
\ndepartment under the ICA, also said the city-state must assure
\nits trading partners that the island will not be used as a
\n\"Trojan Horse\" for non-Singaporean goods bound for third
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Some countries that have signed free-trade agreements (FTA)
\nwith Singapore have expressed concern that goods originating
\nelsewhere could gain tariff-free entry by passing through the
\ncity-state and gaining Singaporean nationality, Lee said.<\/p>\n
\"We must assure our FTA partners that not all goods
\ntransshipped through Singapore gain tariff-free access into their
\ncountries, and that only goods of Singapore origin benefit from
\nthe FTA,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Singapore has free-trade agreements with Australia, New
\nZealand, Japan and the European Free Trade Association.<\/p>\n
\"Singapore is not out to short change our partners,\" Lee said.
\n\"There are proper documentation and enforcement systems to ensure
\nthat exports from Singapore meet relevant 'Rules-of-Origin'
\nbefore they are granted Singapore nationality, and become
\neligible for the benefits of our FTAs. Singapore is therefore no
\nTrojan Horse.\"<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Singapore and the United States signed a
\nlandmark free-trade agreement that - once passed - will wipe out
\ntariffs and other trade barriers on about US$33 billion in annual
\ntrade between the two nations.<\/p>",
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