RI nudges APEC to move on free trade

RI nudges APEC to move on free trade

By Endy M. Bayuni

OSAKA, Japan (JP): Indonesia urged fellow APEC members
yesterday to patch up their remaining differences over an Asia-
Pacific free trade plan, saying that the group's credibility and
the welfare of their people are at stake.

Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto said in
the opening ceremony of a two-day Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) conference that the meeting should come up
with an Action Agenda on the implementation of a free trade plan
as laid out by APEC's leaders in Bogor last year.

"May I appeal to all my colleagues to exert their utmost so
that these issues are resolved and thus ensure the success of our
deliberations," Hartarto said. "At stake here is not only our
credibility to the world at large, but also the sustained
prosperity of our peoples."

Hartarto delivered his speech in his capacity as the immediate
past chairman of the APEC's ministerial conference. The new
chairman is Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
International Trade and Industry Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Japan as the host country presented their draft on the Action
Agenda to the two-day conference, attended both by the trade and
foreign ministers of the 18 member countries.

The draft has undergone many versions after deliberations by
their senior officials.

Three issues over trade liberalization measures were still in
contention at the start of the conference yesterday. One on
"comprehensiveness" that requires member countries to liberalize
all sectors of their economy without any exception. Another
requiring that trade liberalizations pursued by each member
country, although voluntary, must be comparable with others. The
other contentious point is that all trade privileges granted to
fellow APEC members should be non-discriminatory.

Hashimoto in his speech pointed out that a lot had gone into
the preparations and drafting of the Action Agenda, with over 150
meetings of APEC's various groups, committees and other fora. "I
suspect this is the first time in APEC's history that so many
people have worked together so closely for a common goal."

Hartarto in his speech praised host Japan for the draft
document.

"We are pleased to note that in its latest form, the draft
'Action Agenda' clearly reflects the three major pillars of the
APEC process, namely liberalization, facilitation and development
cooperation," he said. "We have always held the view that these
three pillars are of equal importance and are equally
interlinked."

Indonesia, as the architect of the Bogor Declaration, has
always insisted that these three pillars be pursued with equal
vigor, saying that this would allow the developing economies of
APEC to catch up with the developed members.

Hartarto also praised Japan for coming up with the Partnership
for Progress proposal to contribute towards the development
cooperation program. "Indonesia welcomes this proposal because it
represents an important step in narrowing economic disparities
between APEC economies while supporting trade and investment
liberalization and facilitation."

The proposal, which is expected to be endorsed by the APEC
ministers, calls for the provision of various training schemes
for the promotion of human resources development, particularly in
developing member countries. They include training schemes in
standards and conformity assessment schemes, industrial property
rights, and competition policy.

Hashimoto underlined the importance of a successful conference
here in Osaka to the international trade now that the World Trade
Organization, the world's trade watchdog, has started to operate.

"All the more imperative is that those of us in APEC
demonstrate a new mode of cooperation and further consolidate the
momentum for trade and investment expansion achieved in the WTO.

"Accounting for 48 percent of the world's GNP and 46 percent
of world trade, we obviously have a very important role to play.

"Thus, I would like to emphasize our common determination --
the determination for self improvement," Hashimoto said.

The APEC ministers yesterday also heard a presentation by the
Eminent Persons Group, an advisory body whose two proposals
earlier were influential in APEC's decision to move towards free
trade.

There was also a presentation by the leaders of the APEC
Business Forum.