MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA

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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (ESCAP)

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29 June 2001

Subi-egional Woik-shop on Facilitating Ti-ade in Indo-China CountHes
and the 2 nd Ti-ade Facilitation Woi-king Gi-oup
26-29 June 2001
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Ministry of Commerce, Royal Government of Cambodia has hosted four days meeting on Trade Facilitation with ESCAP and Asian Development Bank (ADB) from 26-29 June 2001.

Two meetings were chaired by H.E. Mr. Cham Prasidh, Minister, Ministry of Commerce, and H.E. Mr. Sok Siphana, Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, the Royal Government of Cambodia. Dr. Nibhon Debavalya, Director of International Trade and Industry Division, ESCAP and Mr. C.R. Ralendran, Manager for Programmes Department West (Division 111) co-chaired the meeting. Forty participants from GMS countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam exchanged ideas on subregional cooperation on trade facilitation.

They agreed on the important role that trade facilitation measures can play in invigorating trade in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). In this regard, the sub-regional workshop called for urgent action to improve trade facilitation both nationally and regionally. it was agreed that a holistic approach is needed to address the wide range of trade facilitation issues that is inhibiting trade flows.

The subregional workshop, which took place on 26 and 27 June 2001 in Phnom Penh, agreed on the important role that trade facilitation measures can plav in invigorating trade in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). In this regard, the subregional workshop called for an urgent action to improve trade facilitation both nationally and regionally. It was agreed that a holistic approach is needed to address the wide range of trade facilitation issues that is inhibiting trade flows.

    The Workshop observed that:

1.  The efforts by UN-ESCAP, in organizing this workshop on holistic trade facilitation is both timely and appropriate in subregional trade and flows,

2. Successful trade facilitation will make the GMS region an attractive investment location and hence vitalize the various domestic economies.

3. There is ample scope for further improvement in simplifying, standardizing and harmonizing all trade and commercial related documents and procedures within the subregion.

4. Simpler trade and transport procedures will increase competitiveness, predictability and transparency within the subregion;

5. The adoption of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) will make for faster communications with a view to accelerating trade and transport activities within the subregion through cooperation of other international organizations;

6. There is urgent need by both Government and Business Communities to Jointly review the documentation and procedural requirements so that these, may be streamlined and harmonized at both the national and subsequently regional levels.

7.  Goverriments in the GMS countries should take steps in establishing National Trade Facilitation Working Committees (TFWCs) or any similar mechanism for enhancing trade facilitation measures and modernizing trade and transport practices, as well as supporting subregional trade facilitation initiatives; and

8. trade Facilitation Working Group (TFWG) addresses the issue touching upon border trade, regulation and control for the movement of goods, extension of existing bilateral agreement related to trade, and application of these measures, which would be cutting across all GMS countries

   The workshop recommended the followings

1. While the simplification, alignment and hrmonization of trade, transport and commercial documents and procedures continue to be important, steps should also be taken to introduce automation of trade documentation and procedures to the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries. To that end, the ESCAP Secretariat should act as a focal point for advising member countries on improving trade and other related documentation and procedures accordingly as well as implementing computerization for trade and custom procedures;

2. National Trade Facilitation Working Committees (TFWCs) or an), similar mechanism should be established and strengthened, and act as focal points where both their private and public sectors could channel inputs and issues to the Trade Facilitation Working Group (TFWG). In this regards, GMS countries could consider a time frame in setting up their respective TFWCs or any similar mechanism,  

3. GMS countries develop standard information databases on their trade facilitation measures and policies, and make available via electronic means to the business communities in other GMS member countries',  

4. The ESCAP Secretariat will provide "Training for Trainers Programme" with training manuals on trade facilitation, which will be finalized by using the comments collected in the National workshops and subregional workshop  

5. The questionnaires on trade facilitation distributed to participants will be returned with comments for further revision, which will be tailored for each GMS country, and

6. Further cooperation on trade facilitation within GMS countries will be enhanced.