Yudhoyono to Visit Myanmar for Asean Summit This Weekend

Jakarta Globe, May 09, 2014

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will attend two regional
summits being held in Myanmar’s capital. (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman)

Jakarta. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono will visit Myanmar from Saturday to Monday for two regional multilateral summits.

The Asean Summit in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, is an annual meeting attended by leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss economic and social development, as well as current issues.

Discussions at the meeting will mostly focus on the Asean community, said Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential spokesman for international affairs.

“The summit is about the countries’ preparation in welcoming the Asean Community, their future together, and the relationship between each other and also with other non-Asean countries. The rest are still unspecified,” he told the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

Faizasyah said that there might be no talk about Rohingya refugees at the summit. Indonesia has taken in Rohingya, who are Muslim and are escaping persecution from Myanmar’s Buddhist-majority population.

“For Rohingya, it’s usually discussed during bilateral meetings. [The president] has met the Myanmar president and talked about it in many occasions before. But for this visit, I doubt there will be time for a bilateral meeting with him,” he said.

Yudhoyono will also be attending the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Phillipines East Asean Growth Area) Summit, which is an annual meeting similar to the Asean Summit but is only attended by the four countries.

Still, the president is leaving Indonesia at the time when the country is in the midst of elections. The final count from the April 9 legislative election is set to be released on Friday, ahead of the July 9 presidential vote.

Faizasyah is confident that it’s safe for the president to leave the country at this time and that his leave wouldn’t affect domestic affairs.

ASEAN tourism organizations discuss sub regional cooperation

Antara News, Tue, January 10 2012

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Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (ASEAN-NTOs) discussed sub-regional ASEAN cooperation on the second day of their meeting here on Monday.

"The discussion of the cooperation agenda is closely related to the programs that are being or will be implemented this year at sub-regional level,"ASEAN NTOs chairman Wardiyatmo said.

The sub-regional cooperation covered three areas. One of them concerned the Greater Mekong Sub Region (GMS) which involved Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, he said.

The meeting agreed to appoint Myanmar GMS chief.

The second area of cooperation concerned development of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) in which Thailand had been appointed chief of the tourism field.

The third area of cooperation dealt with development of the Brunei-Indonesia- Malaysia- Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) with Malaysia as chief of the tourism field.

Wardiyanto said in the discussion on sub regional ASEAN cooperation Indonesia had proposed an IMT-GT Tourism Working Group meeting to be held in Palembang, South Sumatra, in mid March 2012 prior to the IMT-GT Summit to be held in April 2012.

In addition, he said at the discussion Indonesia also reported the preliminary results of ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012 in which the number of participants of travel exchange (travex) to be held on January 13-15 had exceeded the target of 1,400 participants.

"A total of 1,413 people have confirmed a plan to take part in the event. The number of travex participants is likely to increase," he said.

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono

Indonesia, Malaysia push sub-regional cooperation

Mustaqim Adamrah, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Wed, 03/18/2009 10:33 AM

Indonesia and Malaysia are pushing private sector and regional administrations to initiate sub-regional development cooperation.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday the two countries had pledged to work together within the sub-regional framework of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

“I said in a forum (attended by IMT-GT and BIMP-EAGA members) that Sumatra was in good shape, and Sulawesi was, too, and continuing to grow. Johor and Riau also grew,” he told the press at the State Palace after a ceremony welcoming Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Badawi was on a two-day trip attending the sixth annual consultation on sub-regional cooperation, which ended Tuesday.

“I hope that the private sector will grow and regions can dig up their own opportunities, with government’s support,” Yudhoyono said.

Yudhoyono said there were good opportunities for cross-border sub-regional economic development and cooperation including in energy, as well as in key economic sectors including agriculture, agribusiness, mining and forestry.

Late last month, Yudhoyono met with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in a sub-regional meeting under the fourth IMT-GT Summit.

The three heads of states pledged to connect the three countries in an effort to boost trade, investment and tourism between them.

“[The physical part of] the project will be roads, ports and airports, and will involve Indonesia’s Sumatra provinces and also a number of Thai and Malaysian areas,” he said on the sidelines of the 14th ASEAN Summit in Cha-am, Thailand.

In particular the proposed sub-regional infrastructure projects were aimed at increasing cooperation in energy to secure supply in the region, as well as food and services.

The three countries also planned to develop five “connectivity borders” linking Shonglak (Thailand) to Penang (Malaysia) to Medan (Indonesia); various routes across the Malacca Strait; Aceh-Dumai-Palembang in Indonesia; Malacca Strait-Dumai; and Ranong (Thailand) to Phuket (Thailand) to Aceh, said presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal in February.

These projects will be financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he said, without elaborating on the financing scheme or how much the project was worth.

According to the ADB, the IMT-GT currently consists of 14 provinces in Southern Thailand; eight states in Peninsular Malaysia; and 10 provinces of Indonesia’s Sumatera island.

The BIMP-EAGA consists of Brunei Darussalam; Central Kalimantan, East and West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Maluku, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and Papua in Indonesia; Sabah and Sarawak states and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia, Island of Mindanao and Palawan Province in the Philippines.

ADB support reflects that the region has over half a billion people, has huge potential for development, with large amounts of land, abundant labor, rich natural resources and a sizeable internal market.

The IMT-GT, a sub-regional cooperation program launched in 1993, is aimed at accelerating the sub -region’s economic transformation through measures like promoting tourism and lowering transportation and transaction costs.

The BIMP-EAGA initiative was launched in 1994, aimed at hastening the development of the economy of Brunei and the subregions of the three other partner countries through regional cooperation.

Total bilateral trade between the sub-regional partners stood at US$11.5 billion in 2007, with $6.74 billion in non-oil and gas, while total bilateral trade reached $14.62 billion in the January-November period in 2008, including $9.27 billion on non-oil and gas, according to Trade Ministry.

Indonesia and Malaysia team up to boost economy

The Jakarta Post ,   Jakarta  |  Tue, 03/17/2009 6:03 PM  

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right, and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ride on a golf cart after their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday. AP/Dita Alangkara

The Indonesian and Malaysian governments on Tuesday agreed to mutually bolster private sectors of both countries, in efforts to develop economic ties.  

A joint trade committee between the two countries had been founded to enhance trade relations, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said. 

"The joint trade committee is in operation, and I think it will be even more effective in creating opportunities," Yudhoyono said after an annual consultation meeting with Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, tempointeraktif.com reports. 

Yudhoyono said the private sector and regional administrations would be at the forefront of the initiative, adding that regional administrations would also receive support from the central government. 

The total trade volume between Indonesia and Malaysia increased from US$11.5 billion in 2007 to $14.6 billion last year, he said. 

Following the establishment of three regional cooperative arrangements at the ASEAN Summit in Thailand [the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT GT), Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMPI EAGS) and the Chiang Mai Initiative], Indonesia and Malaysia had decided to provide more opportunities for the private sector and regional administrations to contribute to the forums, Yudhoyono said. 

Meanwhile, Badawi said the forums were an excellent means to develop the regional economy. (amr)

Good news for tuna fishers: Indonesia adopts fisheries consortium with RP

Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews,Sunday, 01 March 2009 17:00 

HUA HIN, Thailand  (MindaNews/01 March) -- Indonesia has formally adopted a proposed fisheries consortium with the Philippines that will eventually grant Philippine-based tuna fishing vessels access into Indonesia's tuna-rich fishing grounds. 

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Indonesian President resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accepted the proposed agreement from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the 5th Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Leaders Summit at the Dusit Thani hotel here on Saturday. 

Remonde said the two leaders agreed to immediately commission a joint technical working group composed of Indonesian and Philippines fishery officials to work out the details of the proposed agreement.

“This is a significant breakthrough because in effect, the proposal will expand the fishing grounds of our tuna fishing companies,” he told reporters. 

Remonde said the proposed deal will mainly benefit the Philippines' tuna industry, which is based in General Santos City. 

Dubbed the Philippines' tuna capital, General Santos City hosts six of the country’s eight tuna canneries, employing  around 120,000 workers. 

A report from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources showed that Indonesia's fishing grounds supply at least 80,000 tons of tuna annually to the area's tuna canneries and other related industries. 

During the last two years, the Philippines has been trying to secure a new bilateral fishing agreement with Indonesia after the initial five-year deal expired in December 2005. 

The agreement earlier allowed Philippine fishermen to “catch tuna and tuna-like species within the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone.” 

Under the agreement, special licenses were given for Philippine vessels—75 catcher ships, 150 fish carriers, 20 long liners, 300 light boats and 10 single purse seiners. The pact also allowed access to the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas of the Indonesian EEZ. 

The agreement also allowed off-loading and re-supplying access of Philippine fishermen to 10 Indonesian ports. 

Aside from the proposed fisheries deal, Remonde said the BIMP-EAGA leaders agreed to explore the possible expansion of the roll-on roll-off or RoRo shipping routes within the sub-region. 

He said Ms. Arroyo, Susilo, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah jointly agreed to create a technical working group to study the opening of the proposed shipping route. 

Remonde said the proposed RoRo shipping route will connect strategic markets and production areas within the BIMP-EAGA, which comprises the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; the provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Papua in Indonesia; the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and, Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. 

“They (BIMP-EAGA leaders) were very much committed to accelerate the cross-border trade and investment within the sub-region to complement the bigger economic integration initiatives in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” he added. 

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda, who graced the summit, lauded the efforts of the four governments to sustain their cooperation within the sub-region. 

“The BIMP-EAGA has made progress toward improving transport links, facilitating trade and developing economic corridors. Looking forward, the region could become a major player in the regional and global food market,” he said in a press statement. 

He said the ADB, which has been assisting the sub-region's integration programs, will work on new studies to facilitate trade, improve logistics and streamline customs policies in the area. 

"To increase productivity in the agriculture sector, increased investment is needed in infrastructure development, technology upgrading, and marketing support. Policies on trade in agriculture products also need to be reformed to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers,” Kuroda noted. 

The summit, which was also attended by local government and business leaders from the sub-region, tackled various developments related to the implementation of flagship programs and projects under the BIMP-EAGA Development Roadmap for 2006-2010. 

The BIMP-EAGA leaders reviewed the continuing strengthening of the Customs-Immigration-Quarantine-Security (CIQS) coordination, expansion of air and sea linkages, local government cooperation and the development of the sub-region's halal industry. (Alden V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

News focus: RI wants to push ASEAN dialogs with civil society

By Andi Abdussalam 

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has expressed strong desire to push ASEAN member countries to have dialogs with the civil society within the region and to establish a human rights body in an effort to improve the image of the regional grouping. 

"Indonesia highly expects that ASEAN would be ready to enter this field, to have a dialog with, listen to and share views with the civil society, something which concerns human rights, the environment and equitable development," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after attending the 14th ASEAN summit in Hua Hin, Thailand on Sunday. 

Indonesia also has the commitment to actively encourage the formation of an ASEAN human rights body although many parties have doubted ASEAN commitment to create a credible human rights body. 

"Indonesia has been very serious since the beginning to encourage the formation of this ASEAN human rights body. Indonesia has done everything to set an example that we are pursuing not only welfare but also respect for the rule of law, the promotion of human rights, and freedom including freedom of the press," The president said. 

Cambodia and Myanmar during the ASEAN summit objected to the electoral procedures of Civil Society representatives who were to have dialogs with ASEAN leaders. 

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda could understand the objection of Cambodian and Myanmarese governments on electoral procedures of Civil Society representatives. 

"It is true that Cambodia tendered their objection to the procedure on the appointment of representatives of Civil Society of a certain country. It`s quite logic," he said. 

The minister said Cambodian government complained about it because the country concerned was not involved in appointing representatives of civil society group who will have dialogue with heads of states/governments of ASEAN. 

According to Yudhoyono, ASEAN should be ready based on its charter to have a dialog with, listen to and share views with the civil society in an effort to abolish its elitism image. 

"We have to listen to them and that is actually the spirit of the ASEAN charter where ASEAN should show that it is no longer elitist but cares for not only matters of government but also civil matters in all ASEAN nations," he said. 

He said that dialogs and communications with the civil society were part of the process for ASEAN in implementing the ASEAN charter.

"I don`t want to comment too further about the technical, procedural and mechanism of the elections of the civil society representatives. 

Thailand, in its capacity as host and as the ASEAN secretary general, has of course made preparations about it," Yudhoyono added. 

The objection of Cambodia and Myanmar to the selection mechanism of the civil society representatives in the 14th ASEAN summit should be taken as a lesson for the next ASEAN summit. 

Indonesia really hopes that the process in the future would proceed smoothly. 

Besides pushing ASEAN to have dialogs with civil society groups, Indonesia also hopes that the regional grouping -- which consisted of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam? would soon form a human rights body. 

Indonesia would be very active to get the ASEAN human rights body formed not merely to promote the ASEAN image but also to create balance and harmony between law enforcement, freedom and peace. 

"But of course we must keep in mind that the basic freedom of every human being must be respected and highly upheld and must serve as part of the development of ASEAN community in the future," the president said. 

The president said ASEAN was serious about creating a credible human rights body although the condition of its member countries was different from one another. 

"Of course, the condition of Indonesia is different from that of Myanmar and other ASEAN members. Therefore, transition, adaptation and adjustment are needed. And the change which is often successful is a gradual but steady one. 

On the economic crisis, Indonesia was of the view that there is no panacea that could be used to resolve instantly the impact of the current global financial crisis. 

"With regard to regional cooperation to minimize the impact of the economic crisis, there is indeed no panacea or solution that could instantly resolve the problem. We all are aware of this. All advanced countries are affected. Their markets become gloomy. Our exports are therefore disrupted and a number of problems are now facing all nations, including ASEAN," the president said. 

All countries, including Indonesia, have done the best they could. Indonesia has done its best to contribute efforts to minimizing the impact of the financial crisis, both at regional level in ASEAN and at multilateral level in the G-20 forum. 

"All countries wanted to do their best so that the global economic crisis would not worsen, instead the recession would eventually stop so that the world economy would revive," President Yudhoyono said. 

However, all of the efforts are not without limitations so that regional and multilateral cooperation are being made, the president said. 

In order to help cope with the financial crisis, Indonesia has proposed three levels of cooperation schemes in the G-20 forum in the United States last year. 

"The three levels of cooperation schemes are cooperation in the multilateral level, cooperation in the regional level and cooperation in the national level," he said. 

At the regional level, Indonesia worked together with ASEAN to establish the Chiang Mai Initiative. ASEAN also agreed to increase intra-economic cooperation in the trade and investment fields and agreed not to adopt protectionism. 

Indonesia in its capacity as chairman of the Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT GT) and the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP EAGA), has specifically proposed that sub-regional cooperation should provide stimuli packages for infrastructure development

SBY in Thailand, reinforcing regional ties

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 02/28/2009 11:11 AM 

 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right, speaks with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda during the ASEAN heads of state meet with youth representatives during the 14th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cha-Am, near Hua Hin, southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday. AP/Barbara Walton

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left Jakarta on Friday for a three-day visit to the Thai beach resort of Hua Hin for the 14th ASEAN Summit and three other regional and bilateral meetings. 

Accompanying him are acting Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie and State Secretary Hatta Radjasa. 

M.S. Hidayat, chairman of the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and M. Luthfi, chairman of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board, are also among the President's entourage. 

Yudhoyono's hectic schedule will kick off with a preparation meeting with the Indonesian delegation to the ASEAN Summit, shortly after arriving at Hua Hin on Friday evening, the Presidential Palace said. 

On Saturday, Yudhoyono will chair the fourth meeting of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle, a cooperation program launched in 1993 aimed at accelerating the subregion's economic transformation through measures like promoting tourism and lowering transportation and transaction costs. 

Yudhoyono will then chair the fifth meeting of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), dubbed a major location in ASEAN of high value-added agribusiness, natural resource-based manufacturing and high-grade tourism, as well as non-resource-based industries. 

The BIMP-EAGA initiative was launched in 1994, aimed at hastening the development of the economy of Brunei and subregions of the three other countries through regional cooperation. 

Yudhoyono will then attend informal talks with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, ASEAN Youth, and the ASEAN Civil Society, and have lunch with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council. 

He will then attend the official opening ceremony of the 14th ASEAN Summit, after which he will pay a courtesy call on the King of Thailand along with leaders of other ASEAN member states. 

At the ASEAN Summit retreat scheduled for Sunday, Yudhoyono and leaders of the other nine ASEAN member states will exchange views and give directions on the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, which came into force last December. 

The leaders will also discuss regional and global issues, including food and energy security, the global financial crisis, and disaster management. 

They are expected to agree on and adopt five documents: the ASEAN Political Security Blueprint, the ASEAN Sociocultural Community Blueprint, the 2nd Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan, the ASEAN Declaration on the Attainment of Millennium Development Goals in ASEAN, and the ASEAN Statement on Food Security in the ASEAN Region. 

After the retreat, the leaders will sign one major document: the Declaration on the Road Map for an ASEAN Community 2009-2015. 

Yudhoyono will also hold bilateral talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the summit. 

He will return to Indonesia on Sunday. 

The leaders will also discuss regional and global issues, including food and energy security, the global financial crisis, and disaster management.

Sultan Upbeat On BIMP-EAGA

From Azaraimy HH in Hua Hin, BruDirect.com, Thailand 

Hua Hin, Thailand - BIMP-EAGA needs to push on with the free flow of goods, services and investment in the sub-region, while the flow of people too needs to be facilitated in light of the economic downturn, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam said at the 5th BIMP-EAGA Summit on the opening day of 14th Asean Summit yesterday 

His Majesty in his titah during the 5th Brunei- Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit on Saturday took note of the progress made in tourism and investment sectors. His Majesty also commended the work being made to enhance air, land and sea linkages within BIMP-EAGA. His Majesty believed that this would benefit the people and assist businessmen in further reducing the cost of doing business in the sub-region. 

On climate change and the environment, His Majesty stated that BIMP-EAGA should take advantage of the "Heart of Borneo" and the "Coral Triangle Initiatives" and viewed that the sub-region was in a good position to become a centre of excellence for research in areas such as conservation, biotechnology or alternative sources of renewable energy. In this regard, His Majesty welcomed the participation of BIMP-EAGA youths at the workshop on Biodiversity for Young Scientist in Brunei Darussalam this mid-year.

His Majesty stated that the success of BIMP-EAGA depended on the active participation of the community at all levels, especially the private sector. His Majesty added that member countries needed to assist the private sector in developing the sub-region by enhancing the level of interaction between the business community and the BIMP-EAGA process. 

His Majesty stated that BIMP-EAGA's engagement with its development partners such as China and Japan could add value to the cooperation undertaken at the regional level such as Asean. In this regard, His Majesty encouraged the Asean Secretariat to further promote BIMP-EAGA initiatives to all Dialogue Partners of Asean. 

At the end of the summit, His Majesty together with other Asean heads of state endorsed the Joint Statement of the 5" Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia Philippines-East Asean Growth Area Summit. 

Meanwhile shortly after the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit, His Majesty held a bilateral meeting with Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Both heads of state exchanged views on the bilateral relations between the two countries and expressed satisfaction with the existing excellent ties of friendship and cooperation. 

Both His Majesty and Abhisit discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in various fields such as trade, education, defence and other areas of mutual interest. At the same time discussions on regional and international developments were also made. 

Accompanying His Majesty at the meeting was His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

His Majesty also consented to attend various other meetings held at the 14" Asean Summit yesterday. 

On the theme of Asean Charter for Asean People, His Majesty the Sultan and other Asean leaders attended a series of informal meetings between Asean Leaders and representatives of the peoples of Asean, including Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Brunei as observers), youths, civil societies, and the private sector, which is aimed at promoting greater people participation in Asean - according to the Asean Charter which entered into force on Dec 15 2008. 

During the Leaders' Informal Meeting with Representatives of Asean Youth, the Thai Prime Minister stressed the important role that youths can play in helping create an Asean Community, both as recipients of the benefits of Asean integration and as Leaders of Asean in the future. He also called upon the Asean youth to play its creative part in raising awareness of Asean and reaping the benefits of community-building. 

At the first Asean Youth Summit in 2008 held Sept 15- 16 2008, the representative of youth expressed their views in enhancing the Asean community-building process along the line of Asean's three Communities. Youths- expressed that they will play a part in promoting greater acceptance and friendly relations between Asean nations, support regional economic integration for greater prosperity to the region through the narrowing of developmental gaps, emphasize the importance of self-improvement through the promotion of English education and English as a regional language. 

The meeting also agreed to convene the Asean Leaders' Informal Meeting with Representatives of Asean Youth as a part of its annual Asean Summit. 

His Majesty and other Asean leaders later attended a working lunch with the Asean Business Advisory Council 4 (ABAC) leaders, where the Asean leaders were presented with the Asean Business Investment Summit (Asean-BIS) Report. 

Later in the afternoon, His Majesty joined the other Asean heads of state and to meet His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand at Klai Kwangwol Palace in Hua Hin. 

In the evening, His Majesty attended a gala dinner hosted by Thai Premier Abhisit in honour of the Asean leaders at Mrigadayavan Palace in Hua Hin. Accompanying His Majesty at the dinner was His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

BIMP-Eaga eyes single rate to boost trade

VG Cabuag / BusinessMirror , MONDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2009 01:50 

COUNTRIES in the East Asian Growth Area (Eaga) would like to adopt uniform rates in vessel and port charges for all ports in the subregional trade bloc as a way to boost trade. 

Vicente Lao, BIMP (Brunei Indonesia Malaysia Philippines)-Eaga country director, said in an interview his group would also discuss ways on how to facilitate trade, including harmonization of customs procedures, intelligence, quarantine and security, or CIQS. 

“It’s BIMP-Eaga against the world. BIMP-Eaga is adopting the CIQS in order to boost our competitiveness against the world,” Lao said, adding that they are talking with authorities in the region to support both programs. 

“The intention is to distribute growth areas within the region tailor-fitted for the member-economies to complement trades from China, Europe, the Middle East and Europe,” he added. 

An agreement on the CIQS with the four countries is in its final stages and may be signed within the year. The group is still coordinating with port authorities on the uniform port rates and charges, he said. 

BIMP-Eaga offers trade potentials with the vast natural resources owned by its member-countries. Since its inception, however, trade among member-nations remains low due to a lack of investor interest and complementary initiatives from the other areas close to the region. 

This has prodded economists and other logistics experts to say that expanding the local system of roll-on, roll-off ports to Southeast Asia may be more viable for an archipelagic country like the Philippines than others in BIMP-Eaga. 

According to Enrico Basilio, director of CRC Transport and Logistics Institute, expanding the country’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway to Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries can benefit the Philippines since the country is strategically located in the middle of almost every country in the region. 

“This is just a concept. We haven’t done the real analysis yet but I think this should be more viable for us,” Basilio said. 

Some camps have said the trade bloc has little success since the four nations are growing at almost the same pace in terms of agriculture output and mining the same minerals. 

Lao admitted that after 14 years, trade in the region is for now insignificant, but said he believes that trade will rebound once the CIQS is adopted and put in place. 

The products traded from the region are coal, seaweeds and agriculture products from Indonesia; tuna, bananas and pineapple from the Philippines; timber and palm oil from Malaysia; and petrochemicals from Brunei—the central financial district of the BIMP-Eaga. 

BIMP-Eaga is also looking at putting up a power plant in Indonesia to supply other member-countries via submarine cable and address demand in the region. 

The member-countries are also looking at luring more shipping services between Eaga strategic transshipment points and lowering the cost of air and sea passenger services. 

BIMP-Eaga was launched in 1994 as a strategy of participating governments to hasten economic growth in less-developed and remote territories.