BUSINESSES within ASEAN must make use of online tools to facilitate trade within the region, an official with the European Union (EU)-ASEAN Business Council said.
Chris Humphrey, EU-ASEAN Business Council executive director, said in a virtual briefing Thursday that online tools currently provided by the EU can help companies in the region recover from the pandemic.
Mr. Humphrey said the ASEAN Trade Repository (ATR) and ASEAN Solutions for Investments, Services and Trade (ASSIST) platforms can help companies get past trade bottlenecks.
“One of the great benefits of these tools is that at the moment, you cannot travel and meet governments. You cannot meet government officials face to face and ask them questions. These tools are allowing us to get answers from governments,” Mr. Humphrey said.
“These tools, if they are used and if companies find out about them, will help them navigate bureaucracy and regulations. The tools will help them be more compliant and reduce their trading costs since the companies will not be issued fines,” he added.
ATR is a free online repository that “provides a single point of access to all the trade-related information of ASEAN Member States.
ASSIST offers a “non-binding and consultative mechanism for the expedited and effective solution of operational problems encountered by ASEAN Enterprises on cross-border issues related to the implementation of ASEAN economic agreements.”
Both online tools are supported by the ASEAN Regional Integration Support from the European Union (ARISE) Plus initiative that aims to extend the EU’s commitment in assisting ASEAN with trade facilitation.
However, Mr. Humphrey said the online tools will only serve their purpose if both the private and public sectors use them.
“The private sector actually needs to use the system and put those filings on there. Equally, the ASEAN member states need to respond in a very timely fashion with full and comprehensive responses. The more that states do that, the more trust will be there from the private sector and this will benefit everybody,” Mr. Humphrey said.
ARISE Plus expert Paolo Roberto Vergano said the low level of utilization within ASEAN is due to lack of awareness and skepticism of businesses in engaging with governments.
“Our plea is to use it. The tools can be used through a mobile phone. The penetration of mobile phones in Southeast Asia is incredible,” Mr. Vergano said.
According to the European Commission, the EU is ASEAN’s third largest trading partner after China and the US. The bloc accounts for 10.6% of ASEAN trade. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
