ID :
33490
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 10:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/33490
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ASEAN, JAPAN DISCUSS IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
Jakarta, Dec 1 (ANTARA) - ASEAN and Japan held a meeting here to discuss the implementation of their Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) agreement and to announce its application in four ASEAN member states, a conference source said.
"We discussed the implementation of AJCEP in the future while announcing that the agreement comes into force in four ASEAN countries, namely Singapore, Lao DPR, Myanmar, Vietnam and in Japan starting December 1, 2008," Ramon Vicente T Kabigting, a Philppine trade and industry official who chaired the meeting, said here Monday.
The agreement would be applicable in the other ASEAN member countries as soon as they had completed their respective domestic procedures relevant to the accord, he said.
Kabigting expressed hope the AJCEP agreement would be effective in all ASEAN member countries soon so all of them could benefit from it.
"The benefit to our region (ASEAN) is that there will be more job opportunities, we will have a chance to catch up with the developed countries in terms of economic development, and the agreement can attract more investors to ASEAN countries," he said.
Asked about the agreement's benefit to Japan, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Jun Yokota said the agreement would enable Japan to to lower its export taxes and free the movement of goods to and from ASEAN countries from taxes.
"This agreement will make it easier for Japan to invest in ASEAN countries and also cut the production costs of Japanese companies in the ASEAN region since there will be tariff reductions," he explained.
Meanwhile, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan welcomed the progress made in regard to the AJCEP agreement and encouraged the rest of ASEAN member counries, including Indonesia, to catch up with the four countries where the accord was already in force.
The Framework for Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP) between ASEAN and Japan was signed by the Leaders of ASEAN and Japan on October 8, 2003 in Bali during the ASEAN-Japan Summit
Meanwhile, the completion of the signing of the AJCEP agreement was done on April 14, 2008, which covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, and economic cooperation.
According to the framework agreed before, the AJCEP agreement can come into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which such notifications have been made by the government of Japan and, at least, one ASEAN member state.
Therefore, the agreement had entered into force today (Dec 1) after four ASEAN states had completed their legal domestic procedures two months ago (Oct 31).
"We discussed the implementation of AJCEP in the future while announcing that the agreement comes into force in four ASEAN countries, namely Singapore, Lao DPR, Myanmar, Vietnam and in Japan starting December 1, 2008," Ramon Vicente T Kabigting, a Philppine trade and industry official who chaired the meeting, said here Monday.
The agreement would be applicable in the other ASEAN member countries as soon as they had completed their respective domestic procedures relevant to the accord, he said.
Kabigting expressed hope the AJCEP agreement would be effective in all ASEAN member countries soon so all of them could benefit from it.
"The benefit to our region (ASEAN) is that there will be more job opportunities, we will have a chance to catch up with the developed countries in terms of economic development, and the agreement can attract more investors to ASEAN countries," he said.
Asked about the agreement's benefit to Japan, Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Jun Yokota said the agreement would enable Japan to to lower its export taxes and free the movement of goods to and from ASEAN countries from taxes.
"This agreement will make it easier for Japan to invest in ASEAN countries and also cut the production costs of Japanese companies in the ASEAN region since there will be tariff reductions," he explained.
Meanwhile, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan welcomed the progress made in regard to the AJCEP agreement and encouraged the rest of ASEAN member counries, including Indonesia, to catch up with the four countries where the accord was already in force.
The Framework for Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEP) between ASEAN and Japan was signed by the Leaders of ASEAN and Japan on October 8, 2003 in Bali during the ASEAN-Japan Summit
Meanwhile, the completion of the signing of the AJCEP agreement was done on April 14, 2008, which covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, and economic cooperation.
According to the framework agreed before, the AJCEP agreement can come into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which such notifications have been made by the government of Japan and, at least, one ASEAN member state.
Therefore, the agreement had entered into force today (Dec 1) after four ASEAN states had completed their legal domestic procedures two months ago (Oct 31).
