SIEM REAP: THE Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) will fully
implement a uniform self-certification scheme by 2015.
The self-certification system
allows certified exporters to issue invoice declarations on their own without
having to apply for the preferential certificate of origin form from the
respective International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti).
For Malaysia, Miti is the only
authorised body to certify preferential certificates of origin for various
bilateral and regional free trade agreements signed by Malaysia. With self-
certification, the procedures and bureaucracy will be reduced.
This process is trade
facilitative and save cost and time.
The first pilot self-certification
scheme has been implemented since November 2010. Four Asean member states
namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei are participating in the
scheme.
International Trade and Industry
Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the pilot scheme has been extended to
end of 2015.
As such Miti will also extend the
tenure of the existing 82 certified exporters until December 2015. Miti will
also approve additional certified exporters.
"This will be a way forward
to enhance speedier movement of goods within the region," Mustapa told
Business Times at the sidelines of the 44th Asean Economic Ministers-Asean Free
Trade Council meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, yesterday.
He said Miti will enhance
outreach programmes for the private sector to better understand the rules of
origin for preferential trade and the benefits of the various free trade
agreements.
The certified exporters are in
the following sectors - electrical and electronics, chemicals, plastics,
apparels, paper and printing, rubber products and automotive products firms.
They are selected after full
verification by Miti and the Customs Department.
This is part of the trade
facilitation programme to reduce barriers as well as promote intra-Asean trade.
The Asean economic ministers
agreed that by 2015, the self-certification scheme should be implemented by all
of Asean's 10-member countries.
Beginning 2016, all 10 countries
will apply for the Asean wide self-certification scheme, while the conventional
system will still be in place for some time to facilitate new exporters and
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who are not familiar with the rules of
origin.
During the meeting, a second
separate pilot project on self- certification was also signed, involving
another three member states - the Philippines, Indonesia and Laos.
The remaining member nations -
Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam - prefer to embark on more capacity-building
initiatives and to see the benefits of the scheme before coming on board.
Meanwhile, on non-tariff
measures, Malaysia once again reiterated that there needs to be a definite
mechanism to address complaints from the private sector on the problems faced
by them within the region.
There is an agreement now among
ministers that any new non-tariff measures introduced by member countries
deemed to have an impact on trade will have to be notified to the Asean
Secretariat and other member countries in accordance with the notification
procedures in the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement.
This has to be enforced.
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