Opening Remarks by Ms Edith Cheong, Asst. Executive Director, SBF, at SBF Workshop on "ASEAN Customs Transit System – Towards Free Movement of Goods"
on 8 July 2009, 8.45 a.m. – 1.00 p.m., SBF Seminar Room 2
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen:
On behalf of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), I would like to welcome all participants to SBF’s workshop on “ASEAN Customs Transit System – Towards Free Movement of Goods”. It is our privilege to have with us today the expert advisors from the ASEAN-EU Programme for Regional Integration Support – Phase II (APRIS II), Mr Des Grimble and Mr Gordon Linington, to up-date us on the latest status in ASEAN’s plan to achieve a customs transit system towards a free movement of goods within the ASEAN region. They will help us to have a clear understanding of what is planned in terms of operational customs practice.
In the face of the global economic down-turn, businesses are all the more watchful of increased costs of doing business as profit margins take a continuous slide downwards. Consequently, any measures which can reduce business costs due to government regulatory requirements would prove to be a very welcome step.
Thus, in the area of customs regulations, the ASEAN business community supports and is looking forward to the ASEAN governments’ implementation of measures to ease the flow of goods across borders in order to expedite customs clearance. We all appreciate the common saying “Time is money” and
in this time of economic crisis, any cost saving will have a significant impact on the bottom-line.
The ASEAN business community, represented at the highest level by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) with SBF serving ASEAN-BAC Singapore, is cooperating with the ASEAN governments in a joint collaborative effort to achieve ASEAN’s aim of establishing a free movement of goods as envisaged in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015.
Arising from this workshop, feedback from the business community is welcome regarding business experiences within ASEAN in the area of customs operations.
Thank you for your participation.
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