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"Hong Kong is already well ahead of the game in most areas. Even so, we were able to include the deregulation of local telephone services among our Initial Actions."
The Director-General of Trade said tariffs and non-tariff barriers are not the only things which get in the way of business. Red tape and bureaucracy are often just as bad, or even worse.
"This is an area where APEC is determined to make progress. It is also an area where we want to harness the speed and efficiency of advances in information technology," Mr Miller said.
"Already, all APEC members have got complete tariff data onto common format CD-ROMs. The next step will be to incorporate information on all non-tariff measures pending their final removal. This will be followed in 1998 by making available to the public information on all administrative guidelines, procedures and rulings, in addition to customs laws and regulations."
Mr Miller said common standards for products region wide was one of APEC's targets.
"Work is already well advanced on four priority case studies covering electrical and electronic appliances, food labelling, plastic products and rubber products," he said, adding that it was also a target set by APEC to introduce a system which guaranteed region-wide acceptance of products tested in any recognised testing centre in any member economy.
Noting APEC's determination to make full use of information technology in an effort to increase efficiencies, Mr Miller said one of the targets was full conformity by all economies by 1998 with the Guidelines on Trade in International Value-Added Network Services (IVANS) as well as the Guidelines on the Regional Harmonisation of Telecommunications Equipment Certification Procedures.
"Taken together these two measures will radically simplify things for those who produce or trade in telecommunications systems and equipment," he said.
In addition to putting tariff and non-tariff data on CD-ROMs, the next step would be to computerise customs procedures all around the APEC region by 1999.
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