| Lyna Mohamad |
THE 37th ASEAN Transport Facilitation Working Group (TFWG) Meeting opened at the Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong yesterday.
Hosted by the Land Transport Department (JPD) under the Ministry of Transport and Info-communications (MTIC), the main agenda of the three-day meeting will be the development of transport facilitation matters within ASEAN, including activities currently in progress.
The TFWG Meeting will also address the challenges in the implementation of the ASEAN transport development initiatives, to expedite on the ratification and implementation of transport facilitation agreements that would enable seamless cross-border mobility of passengers between and among ASEAN member states (AMS), which would enhance people-to-people Connectivity, as well as stimulate trade, tourism and investment in ASEAN.
The agreements are the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAFGIT), the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Inter-State Transport (AFAFIST), the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Multimodal Transport (AFAMT), and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Cross Border Transport of Passengers by Road Vehicles (CBTP).
The three-day meeting will also create an opportunity for AMS and private sector representatives to discuss their respective cross-cutting issues and concerns, as well as exchanging views to work out the transport facilitation issues.
Meanwhile, the target of operationalisation for AFAFGIT and AFAFIST set under ASEAN Transport Strategic Plan 2016-2025/Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan (KLTSP) by 2020 are among some of the important deliverables and expected outcomes of the meeting.
On AFAFIST, the full ratification is expected once Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have completed their ratification process targetted for 2020.
Also to be delivered are updates on the process for enactment of their domestic legislations in Multimodal Transport Laws, or regulations, where AMS are in different stages with this initiative.
The updates of the progress of refinement of Implementing Guidelines of ASEAN Cross-Border Transportation of Passengers (ASEAN CBTP) will also be part of the important deliverables at the meeting, on the readiness of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to conduct the pilot implementation of ASEAN CBTP.
Participating in the meeting are delegates from AMS and the ASEAN Secretariat, together with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) and the ASEAN Regional Integration Support by the EU (ARISE), as Dialogue Partners.
Also participating in the meeting are transport associations such as the ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Association (AFFA), the ASEAN Trucking Federation (ATF) and the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
Brunei Darussalam’s delegation, meanwhile, includes senior officials from the JPD, MTIC and other government agencies, as well as representatives of local private sectors.