APEC meeting opens with different views

APEC meeting opens with different views

By Riyadi

MONTREAL (JP): Eighteen Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) trade ministers opened their two-day annual meeting here
Thursday with developed and developing economies differing on
what were priorities.

Indonesia and other developing economies want developed
members to open their markets faster to give more access to
developing countries' products.

But developed members, led by the United States, want greater
concessions from developing members to commit more to sectoral
liberalization.

Indonesia's minister of industry and trade, Tunky Ariwibowo,
said members should give more concessions to developing economies
to help them catch up.

"If they open their markets wider for developing members'
products, they help speed up their development, which will in
turn provide a larger market for their goods," Tunky said.

To achieve this, developed economies should commit to
strengthening economic and technical cooperation and trade
liberalization, Tunky said.

The meeting will discuss four key issues. These are the
private sector's role, the facilitation and liberalization of
trade and investment and ties with the World Trade Organization
(WTO).

The meeting is the first in a series of ministerial meetings
Canada will host to provide impetus for APEC's work in the lead
up to the APEC Ministerial and Economic leaders meeting in
Vancouver from Nov. 22 to Nov. 25.

"One of Canada's priorities in 1997 is to maintain the focus
on, and momentum of, APEC's trade and investment agenda and
support the ongoing work of the WTO," Canada's International
Trade Ministry said.

A Canadian official said the ministers would review individual
action plans tabled in Manila last year and discuss further trade
liberalization and facilitation.

The ministers would discuss tariff and nontariff barriers and
sectoral liberalization, he said.

Delegation sources said the United States might pursue the
liberalization of the chemical sector, after successfully getting
liberalization commitments on information technology and basic
telecommunications in Manila last year.

The APEC agreement on information technology paved the way for
several countries to adopt the information technology agreement
(ITA) in the first WTO ministerial meeting in Singapore last
December.

"Though it would be difficult to repeat the success of the
ITA, we are anxious to look at all possibilities that will enable
us to move the process forward," the official said.

But Tunky doubted an sectoral liberalization agreements could
be reached in just two days.

"We will discuss only the general principles on sectoral
liberalization but will not reach any agreement on liberalization
of any sector," Tunky said.

Trade facilitation will also be on the agenda, especially the
harmonization of customs procedures, standards and conformance.

The ministers will also discuss proposals put forward by the
APEC Business Advisory Council, which represents the private
sector.

Its proposals include private sector participation in
infrastructure development.

"They have a project proposal called APEC Voluntarily
Investment Principles, a sort of investment agreement on specific
projects, rather than on general matters," the official said.

The advisory council said APEC should promote business
mobility by developing something like a visa-free smart card so
businesspeople from APEC economies could travel more easily.

Australia, the Philippines and South Korea have agreed to
pioneer the effort.

The director general of foreign economic relations, Soemadi
Brotodiningrat, said Indonesia would have no problem with such a
proposal because it already provided visa-free facilities to
visitors from almost all APEC nations. (rid)