ASEAN transport officials meet in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – Transport officials from the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in Cebu yesterday for a week-long event to come-up with a recommendation for the implementation of the transport facilitation agreements among its member country to ensure an efficient and integrated transport system within the ASEAN region.

The Philippine government, through the Department of Transportation and Communication, which hosted the five day back-to-back meetings, is hopeful that through the agreements that are expected to be forged will transform the ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services and investment and significantly contribute to the realization of the vision set out in the ASEAN economic blueprint.

Among the meetings that ASEAN representatives are holding in Cebu within the week are the 8th ASEAN Transport Facilitation Working Group, ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Associations (TFWG-AFFA) Forum on the Operationalization of the ASEAN Transport Facilitation Agreements, the 20th ASEAN Transport Facilitation Working Group (TFWG) Meeting, and the 2nd ASEAN Transit Transport Coordinating Board (TTCB) Meeting.

DOTC public information officer Rolly Chicano said that during these meetings, the delegates from the ASEAN member countries will discuss various topics including the operationalization and implementation of the Transport Facilitation Agreements and the status of ratification of these agreements.

The members will also discuss the status of internal formalities undertaken by ASEAN member states to enact the necessary domestic laws and regulations to effect the ASEAN Transport Facilitation Agreements and protocols as well as exchange of information on the practices of transport operations.

The three ASEAN Transport Facilitation Agreements are; First, ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAGIT), which aims to bring about and integrated and harmonized transit transport system and simplified and harmonized transport, trade and customs regulations for the Facilitation of goods in ASEAN;

Second, ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Inter-State Transport (AFAFIST), which, among others, aims to facilitate inter-state transport of goods to support the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area, and to further integrate the region economies;

Third, ASEAN Framework Agreement on Multimodal Transport (AFAMT), which aims to stimulate the development of smooth, economic and efficient multimodal transport services adequate to the requirements of international trade.

The groups will also be discussing the update on the ASEAN economic community blueprint scorecard; ASEAN Strategic Transport Plan 2011-2015; and the implementation status of the roadmap for the integration of logistic services.

The TFWG will also discuss with the ASEAN dialogue partners - China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, on transport cooperation.

The ASEAN member countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. - With reports from Aldwin Gevera, USJ-R-MassCom intern/FPL (FREEMAN)