Bandar Seri Begawan - In Recognising the importance of inter-state transport of goods and the transportation of goods in transit between the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), the four member states signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the transit and inter-state transport of goods on June 25 during the 4th BIMP-EAGA Transport Ministers' Meeting.

The BIMP-EAGA ministers in charge of the transportation sector met in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where signing on behalf of His Majesty's government was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Awg Abu Bakar bin Hj Apong, Minister of Communications.

The MoU established a collaborative arrangement to promote, develop and enhance trade and investment among the Asean sub-region and, in particular, establish border arrangements that would facilitate the flow of goods and reduce transport costs within the region.

The signing of the MoU exemplified another significant milestone in BIMP-EAGA's multimodal transport cooperation after the signing of three other MoUs on air, sea and land linkages in 2007.

With the latest MoU, BIMP-EAGA is fulfilling and reaffirming the objective of the BIMP-EAGA Roadmap to Development 2006-2010 in its efforts to further strengthen the BIMP-EAGA transport agenda. This MoU was designed to offer more opportunities for member states, especially the private sector, to further enhance trade and investment cooperation in the cross-border movement of goods within BIMP-EAGA.

The Minister of Communications was in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia to attend the 4th BIMP-EAGA Transport Ministers Meeting, alongside his counterparts from Indonesia, Malaysia and senior officers from the Philippines.

The meeting was encouraged by the progress in air connectivities in the BIMP-EAGA region. The ministers were also pleased with the progress in the inter-state operations of commercial buses in Borneo Island. They had also directed transport officials to ensure that efforts to expand transport services are complemented by programmes to improve road safety, increase energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and emission in the transport sector.

The ministers were also encouraged by the response of the private sector to the initiatives of the BIMP-EAGA governments in providing a favourable framework for transport and logistics development.

Subsequently, the ministers encouraged their transport officials to intensify private sector dialogues and enjoin the private sector through the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) to ensure responsible participation in the governments' efforts to identify measures and actions to intensify transport facilitation, accelerate the liberalisation and competition of transport services, enhance seamless logistics and promote further private sector investments in the transport infrastructure and services. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

< Prev		Next >