ASEAN considers goods in transit

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed yesterday to undertake a program to facilitate goods in transit.

In their joint communique, ASEAN foreign ministers called on member countries to make efforts to promote trade and the free movement of goods in the region.

"ASEAN foreign ministers have agreed to recommend it to the (ASEAN) summit, so that we can now discuss the time frame," Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Amnuay Viravan said.

Viravan is the one who proposed the idea of establishing a regional arrangement to govern the transit of goods within ASEAN at the informal dinner of ASEAN ministers here on Friday.

Under such a regional arrangement, sealed goods would not be opened in transit, would move on a fixed route and would be sent on without tax and tariffs.

Viravan said such an arrangement on transit goods would serve as a vital link to make the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement effective. "Therefore, we should coordinate it with the AFTA program."

In addition to AFTA, Viravan noted that the proposed arrangement would especially benefit countries which have no access or easy access to the sea, like Laos.

"It will be a special value for Laos because it is a land- locked country," Viravan said.

Laos, along with Cambodia, will next year become a full member of ASEAN, which currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (rid)