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Asean trade ministers map out partnership plans
MANILA, Philippines – Trade ministers from the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in Manila to map out plans on how to further strengthen partnerships in the region.
Increasing trade and investment, integrating micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the global value chains and developing an innovation-driven economy were identified as key measures that will support the call for a stronger ASEAN, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
Senior trade officials from Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia met Wednesday to refine points of discussion and agenda items for the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat Meeting and Related Meetings which started yesterday.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the agency is poised to champion the Philippine trade agenda as it takes the lead in the economic ministers’ meeting.
“Our strategic measures are consistent with our current agenda to promote employment and entrepreneurship. The ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting is an excellent platform to push for the country’s core thrusts on trade and investment, MSME development and innovation,” Lopez said.
The trade chief assured his meeting’s chairmanship would be “fair, workable, rational and inclusive” among the other ASEAN member states.
The ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting aims at strengthening partnership with stakeholders to expand knowledge and utilization of ASEAN-related free trade and economic agreements, provisions and initiatives, including the benefits that an ASEAN national can receive.
“It’s time for us to make people feel that their membership in ASEAN is relevant to their day-to-day experience,” Lopez said.
On increasing trade and investment in the region, Lopez said the creation of a sound policy environment and the right mix of support programs would be crucial to improve the capacity of businesses to expand, upgrade and diversify.
This is where the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), an agreement involving the 10 ASEAN member countries and six dialogue partners which will expand the ASEAN market from 600 million to 3.5 billion, comes in, according to Lopez.
DTI intends to push for the substantial conclusion of RCEP by year-end.
Lopez said the push for MSME development would likewise continue by instituting an enabling environment that allows the sector to develop and internationalize through e-commerce, as well as policies that ease the cost of doing business and provide skills and business training and facilitate the link with the global value chain.
Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/03/10/1679541/asean-trade-ministers-map-out-partnership-plans