Monday, May 21, 2007 BIMP-Eaga agrees to ease rules in GenSan, Zambo ports
TWO seaports in Mindanao have been chosen as pilot areas where rules in customs, immigration, quarantine and security (CIQS) would be eased, a ranking official in the island said.
They are the cities of General Santos and Zamboanga.
The move was in line with moves to enhance trade and services exchanges in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga), according to Virgilio Leyretana, chair of the Mindanao Economic and Development Council.
"It's important to simplify customs, immigration, quarantine and security procedures and regulations mainly to further ease the movement of people, goods and services in the Eaga and effect economic growth," he noted.
At least six other ports in the sub-regional economic grouping have been identified where port procedures would be streamlined.
These are the ports of Muara in Brunei Darussalam; Labuan, Tebedu and Sandakan in Malaysia; and Bitung and Entikong in Indonesia.
At the recently held 2nd BIMP-Eaga CIQS Task Force Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei, representatives of the four member countries have underscored cooperation among CIQS agencies to harmonize rules and processes adopted in these ports that strategically connect four priority sea linkages in EAGA: the Muara-Labuan, Entikong-Tebedu; Bitung-General Santos and Zamboanga-Sandakan routes.
Chaired by the Philippines and attended by officials and representatives of Eaga CIQS agencies, BIMP-Facilitation Center, Asian Development Bank and German Technical Cooperation, the meeting discussed issues and concerns deemed crucial in improving security and stability of trade, tourism and investment in the growth area.
During the Cebu Summit early this year, Eaga leaders led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued a marching order for the four countries to simplify and mutually recognize CIQS processes at the designated ports in order to hasten intra-EAGA movement of people and goods within the sub-region.
The leaders have also directed the customs, immigration, quarantine and security agencies to work on measures that will intensify cooperation to facilitate trade by establishing one-stop facilities at every designated point.
It likewise endorsed the proposed Asian Development Bank technical assistance project for strengthening customs and immigration cooperation in BIMP-Eaga, where a phased approach to harmonization, initially targeting on the selected pilot ports and border crossings, will be considered.
This is to establish model ports from where best practices could be generated.
The proposed components of the bank's support also include strengthening information exchange and enhancing the role of the CIQS Task Force as a catalyst for harmonization; formulating flexible agreements; pilot-testing agreements; as well as establishing demand-driven trainings and capacity-building programs.
Leyretana said the German group will be providing institutional strengthening and capacity building support to BIMP-Eaga institutions, and will assist in the implementation of cross-border pilot projects in trade, investment and tourism.
Created in 1994, BIMP-Eaga is among the fasted growing sub-regional cooperation in East Asia resulting in the establishment of direct air and sea linkages and increased economic activities among the focus areas. (BSS)
