by Kaisar | Apr 19, 2015 | Services, Technical Reports
To successfully implement the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals across the ASEAN Member States, it is vital that all AMS lay the foundations for such success. Across the ten AMS there is huge variance in the level of existing hard and soft infrastructure on which successful MRA implementation can be built. This Gap Analysis Draft Final Report produces an ASEAN Qualifications Equivalence Matrix laying out existing tourism professionals’ qualifications in all AMS and comparing them to ASEAN Common Competency Standards on Tourism Professionals, Common ASEAN Tourism Curriculum, and Regional Qualification Framework and Skills Recognition System. It also identifies and analyses ten significant gaps which impact the majority of AMS, provides suggestions to address and narrow those gaps, and sets out a priority order and timelines for initiatives to do so. To access the report, please contact the ASEAN Secretariat Infrastructure Division. Related Project(s): Gap Analysis on Implementation of MRA on Tourism...
by Kaisar | Apr 19, 2015 | Services, Technical Reports
The project “Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Regional Secretariat for ASEAN Tourism Professionals” has been undertaken to support a common qualification structure that in turn will facilitate the free movement of labour and enhanced connectivity between all ASEAN Member States (AMS) being the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Tourism Professionals. The core objective of this project have been to assess the need on behalf of the ASEAN Tourism Professionals Monitoring Committee (ATPMC) for the Establishment of a Regional Secretariat for ASEAN Tourism Professionals and whether it is the best option to respond to the MRA requirements. If not the best option, what are other alternatives and if the best option, identify how the Regional Secretariat should operate, its processes and mechanisms, and how to position itself to best support the work of the ATPMC and related institutions and ultimately be financially self-sustainable. This Report outlines the recommendations, milestones, budgets and timelines from the Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Regional Secretariat for ASEAN Tourism Professionals. To access the report, please contact the Infrastructure Division of the ASEAN Secretariat. Related Project(s): Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Regional Secretarial for Tourism...
by Kaisar | Apr 19, 2015 | Services, Technical Reports
Liberalisation in services is fundamental to the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which is planned to be achieved by 2015. ASEAN leaders have taken this firm decision, and services liberalisation and related domestic reforms are to be implemented by then. Hence, the real challenge to achieving the AEC is not one of negotiating trade commitments on “paper” under AFAS, even though this continues with the 8th package under way, but rather ensuring that all ASEAN Member States (AMS) engage in real or “on the ground” liberalisation to remove barriers to services trade in time for the AEC to be in place from 2015. Liberalisation of services trade will require promoting much greater awareness among stakeholders, including officials and especially the private sector, of its significant wider economic gains to all individual AMS and ASEAN as a whole, adoption of an appropriate regulatory environment, strong institutions, supportive infrastructure, and enhanced policy coordination and coherence, especially in the less developed AMS. Substantial key and effective capacity building throughout AMS across a broad and diverse range of relevant areas is needed to achieve the goal. To be successful, any needs assessment of capacity constraints must be approached broadly to include building a domestic consensus amongst stakeholders in favour of liberalisation that recognises the overriding national interest. This includes helping to coalesce interests in favour of trade and investment openness, such as exporters of goods and services, which both depend on accessing efficient service inputs for international competitiveness. A coalescence of interests will become increasingly critical in moving forward to meet AEC goals as more difficult areas of liberalisation are inevitably...
by Kaisar | Apr 19, 2015 | Services, Technical Reports
The achievement of the free flow of skilled labour in ASEAN is a key element of the AEC Blueprint, focusing on managed mobility of facilitated entry for the movement of natural persons engaged in the trade in goods, services and investment. The AEC Blueprint explicitly addresses the need for the free flow of skilled labour. However, although the Blueprint identified four ‘action’ areas for working toward a freer flow of professionals and skilled labour, it does not offer a clear strategy or pathway that can enable cross-agency actions to facilitate this objective. The current situation suggests there are varying degrees of commitment to the liberalisation necessary for paving the way to a freer flow of skilled human resources under ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) across Member States. While the ASEAN sectoral bodies have variously initiated efforts to facilitate the free flow of skilled human resources and AMS have worked toward packages of commitments, a comprehensive overview of the current status of these developments does not exist. Moreover, there is no clear picture of the linkages across the sectoral bodies involved nor yet a plan for addressing problems in an integrated, efficient and effective manner. This study discusses: Identification and assessment of current issues and challenges facing the liberalisation of the free flow of skilled labour across AMS; Identification of issues and options for the work-plans of relevant ASEAN cross-sectoral bodies as an approach for addressing issues and challenges related to the free flow of skilled labour across AMS; and, Indicative recommendations and approaches for AMS to address issues and challenges towards the achievements of the free flow of...
by Kaisar | Apr 15, 2015 | Agriculture, Technical Reports
As economic integration approached the ASEAN Secretariat is developing a number of ASEAN specific standards to facilitate intra ASEAN and extra ASEAN trade including a Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) standard. In order to satisfy export markets some ASEAN Member States have developed country specific GAqP standards, however these differ from each other and focus on different areas of aquaculture. Some AMS have not developed meaningful GAqP standards or have not implemented them successfully. What is needed for a successful ASEAN economic integration is for all AMS to be actively involved in harmonizing standards including GAqP standards. This policy brief recommends action points for AMS to implement ASEAN GAqP as a means to support trade facilitation intra and extra ASEAN. Gaqp Policy...
by Kaisar | Apr 15, 2015 | Agriculture, Technical Reports
The ASEAN Member States (AMS) share the similar farming system and facilities, climate pattern and common commodities. National Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) programme implemented in the AMS varies with some countries having government certified systems and others beginning the journey with awareness programs for farmers. The of ASEAN GAqP (Food fish) is to enhance the harmonisation of GAqP programs within the ASEAN region will fulfil one of the major requirements set down by the AEC blueprint for integration by 2015. The AEC Blueprint will transform ASEAN into a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy. The scope of the ASEAN GAqP (Food fish) covers practices that are mainly aimed at preventing or minimising the risks in four areas of production. Namely food safety, animal health and welfare, environmental integrity and socio-economic aspects associated with aquaculture of food fish. The coverage of GAqP (Food fish) will include mariculture, coastal aquaculture/ brackish water culture, and freshwater culture excluding shrimp. The agreed GAqP will cover all phases of farm operation, including pre production, production, harvesting and post-harvest handling prior to transportation. Guidelines on ASEAN Good Aquaculture Practices (ASEAN GAqP) for Food...
