Slashed tariffs
under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will cost Thailand Bt7 billion to Bt8
billion a year in lost revenue, but the Customs Department expects this to be
compensated by soaring intra-Asean trade.
As import tariffs currently imposed on goods from Laos,
Cambodia, Myanmar and other Asean members will be cut to zero in 2015 when the
single market starts, it will take a toll on revenue, Somchai Poolsawasdi,
director-general of the Customs Department, said yesterday.
However, the anticipated rise of intra-regional trade in
Asean may bring greater benefits to the overall economy, he said.
Thailand's border trade was worth Bt899 billion last
year, up 15.6 per cent from the year before, and the country enjoyed a trade
surplus due to exports of Bt587 billion. But border trade is expected to soar
under the AEC.
The department will also step up its scrutiny of whether
investors in Asean meet local-content requirements, he said. If they do not,
they cannot enjoy tax privileges under the Asean Free Trade Agreement.
The department plans to build a new customs office at Ban
Phu Nam Ron in Kanchanaburi province, as two-way trade there is expected to
take off when the Dawei deep-sea port and industrial park in Myanmar are
constructed, he said.
Several new customs checkpoints will be also built at the
new border-crossing points, he said, while the old offices would be renovated
and expanded.
Asean customs authorities have negotiated the
streamlining of border checkpoints to save costs and move transport
efficiently, Somchai said. If goods are examined by Thai customs officials when
they reach the Laotian border, for example, there should be no need for a
second check.
A national single window, which will allow exporters and
importers to apply for customs clearance at one point electronically, is
expected to be ready by the end of this year, he said.
More intra-Asean trade is expected to provide a cushion
for the impact of the European crisis, he added.
WICHIT CHAITRONG
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