ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION

TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP

EIGHTEENTH MEETING ¡V MIYAZAKI

OCTOBER 2000

STEERING COMMITTEE ON MORE COMPETITIVE TRANSPORTATION

Progress Report on
EFFICIENCY in the FACILITATION OF INTERNATIONAL SEABORNE TRADE

Submitted by Australia

September 2000

LEAD ECONOMY : AUSTRALIA

Background

At its 17th meeting in March 2000 the TPT-WG endorsed the Australian proposal Efficiency in the Facilitation of International Seaborne Trade as a joint project with the SCCP, subject to final funding approval by the BMC. The SCCP support had been given at the 1st meeting in Brunei Darussalem in February 2000 conditional upon the project requiring only minimum input from the SCCP. The project has met this criterion. The only input required by the SCCP will be to provide the selected consultant with a customs contact in each participant economy. The final approval for funding of $54340 was given at the BMC meeting from 26 - 28 July 2000.

This project will engage a consultant to establish a contact group. The purpose of the group will be to identify the most efficient practices in customs, immigration, quarantine and port authority procedures for a ship to trade in South East Asia. This region carries a high volume of seaborne trade. By making seaborne trade in South East Asia safer and more efficient all economies will benefit. The benefits from safer and more efficient seaborne trade will be reduced shipping costs for shipowners and government authorities. Cost savings and greater reliability will make shipping more competitive and expand trade in the region. Importers, exporters, consumers and the community will all benefit from more competitive shipping through a cheaper, more reliable supply of goods in greater volume.

This project aims to improve efficiency in seaborne trade in South East Asia, and is open to all economies for participation. Economies are recommended to confirm their interest in participating in this project. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be finalised after TPT-WG 18.

Proposed Timetable

Oct/Nov 2000 Confirmation of participating economies at TPT-WG 18 and 

nomination of local coordinators.

Distribution of the RFP by Australia.

Dec 2000       Economies to advertise for consultants.

Feb 2001       Applications for consultants to close.

Each economy to select preferred tenderer.

Mar 2001       Each economy to advise APEC secretariat of preferred tenderer. 

Mar/Apr 2001 The project steering committee to select a tenderer. 

May/Jun 2001 TILF funding to become available.

Jul 2001        The selected tenderer to begin work.

Mar 2002      The project to finish by this date.

Current Situation

Funding for the project from the TILF special account for 2001 is expected to become available in May or June 2001. The selection of the consultant will begin before May so that work on the project can start as soon as funding is available.

The project is co-sponsored by Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam has also expressed support for the project.

 Recommendation

It is recommended that the above progress report be noted and that interested economies confirm to Australia their interest in participating in the project.

This page was last updated on 16 Sept., 2000

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