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s the 2011 ASEAN chair, Indonesia will encourage other member countries to improve efforts to broaden economic cooperation as part of preparation toward the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said Tuesday that the measures would include initiatives to boost economic cooperation between member countries through trade facilitation means, such as introducing an ASEAN trade repository and improving the implementation of rule of origin as parts of non-barrier trade.

The repository would contain all trade regulations in a country, while the rules of origin are a set of information about the origins of a product, both of which are important to implement trade policy measures such as anti-dumping duties.

“An ASEAN trade repository will enable each member to understand a country’s regulations on the flow of goods, such as entry requirements, labels and product standards,” Mari said, adding that implementation of the regulation would enhance trade transparency. 

Trade Ministry international trade director general Gusmardi Bustami said that to support the establishment of the trade repository, each country would be required to have a national single window trade repository documenting and facilitating access to its trade regulations.

“Exporters from one ASEAN member nation who want to sell to or buy products from fellow member countries can see the trade regulations of those countries, such as licenses for steel products,” he said, adding that the system would be important for both importing and exporting business players in ASEAN nations.

“We can also criticize existing barriers in other countries, and the transparency will improve trade conditions,” he said.

According to Gusmardi, the system is expected to be finalized in 2015 along with the establishment of AEC — ASEAN’s version of the European common market.

Indonesia would also further encourage investment inflows to ASEAN members through a comprehensive investment agreement signed last year, Gusmardi said. 

“We will encourage all member countries to ratify the agreement, and each country will make its investment negative list,” he said. 

Mari said that Indonesia would also encourage ASEAN members to pay more attention to small and medium enterprises.

“We want to realize a better partnership, especially with small and medium-sized enterprises as our main beneficiaries,” she said, adding that ASEAN would study the feasibility of the establishment of an ASEAN small and medium-sized enterprises service center.

In addition to forging internal consolidation, Mari said Indonesia would also carry out initiatives towards the realization of an East Asia Free Trade Area.

“For all partnership agreements with Korea, Japan and China, we will provide special facilitation to promote investments and enhance cooperation,” she said. (lnd)