Pushing for an Asean free trade
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN also start talks this week on what could turn out to be a more realistic attempt to liberalize trade relations among its 10-member countries.
The ASEAN region has a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product of almost $700 billion, and a total trade of about $850 billion. The ASEAN countries are
The meetings in Singapore coincides with a week-long meeting called by World Trade Organization head Pascal Lamy in Geneva to push forward, albeit with more difficulty, the Doha trade talks started in 2001 in Qatar, which aims to promote freer international trade among the developed and developing economies of the world.
The ASEAN, established more than two decades ago, is committed to a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities by 2020.
In 1992, the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) was inked with the objective of promoting the region’s competitive advantage as a single production unit, specifically through the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers among its member countries.
By 2005, tariffs on almost 99 percent of the products in the Inclusion List of the ASEAN-6 (Brunei Darussalam,
Free trade agreements
Perhaps the most important achievement that could be considered to date by the ASEAN members is the continued push for free trade agreements with a number of countries and blocs even as it awaits amendments to a new charter.
Last year, the ASEAN bloc signed a landmark deal with
In the current ongoing meetings, ASEAN representing ministers will likewise continue discussions to push ahead with free trade agreements with
The most recent country to join in the discussions is
JPEPA
On the side, while the ASEAN bloc carries on with its work towards solidifying the economic, social, security and political interests of its members, negotiations on the controversial Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) continues – but on a much-delayed timeframe.
The general framework between
Interestingly enough, in the noise generated by opposition lawmakers, militant and mostly environment groups, what is apparent is the lack of any concrete basis of many issues raised against the proposed treaty. In effect, many of the concerns seem like conjectures.
In their rebuffed petition with the Supreme Court asking for “full disclosure” of the executive government’s negotiations with
I would like to believe that the currently working models of cooperation between
If it is any added comfort, our country has had a long history of treaties and agreements with
Lastly, the country continues to be a major beneficiary of
Need I say more?
Collegiate Champions League update
Competition among themselves in their respective “mother leagues” is the first phase collegiate teams nationwide have to pass through on the way towards the Philippine Collegiate Championship.
In Metro Manila, the following “mother leagues” are to start soon: NASCU, CUSA, UCAA and South NCAA. Meantime, the UAAP and NCAA are in full gear with Ateneo, San Beda, Letran, Mapua, De La Salle, UE and FEU battling to earn the automatic slots in the “Sweet 16” Final Challenge. The champion and runner-up teams of the UAAP and NCAA are seeded in the final phase of the Philippine Collegiate Championship games.
In Naga (Regional Area 3), the
For more details about the biggest collegiate basketball event for the year, visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net.
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