XN000022-1993-09-24 — Page 8

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1993

"BUT THERE ARE OTHER PROCEDURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

IMPEDIMENTS TO TRADE WHICH, ONCE IDENTIFIED, CAN BE REMOVED OR STREAMLINED OR STANDARDISED, AT A REGIONAL LEVEL THROUGH THE LESS FORMAL PROCESS OF CONSULTATION AND CONSENSUS AMONG APEC MEMBERS, HE SAID.

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MR MILLER PRAISED THE BUSINESS SECTOR'S CONTRIBUTION TO APEC WORKING GROUPS.

"THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS PROCESS. BUREAUCRATS CAN SOMETIMES BE BLIND TO WHAT IS OBVIOUS TO THE BUSINESSMAN.

"THOSE DOING BUSINESS IN THE REGION ARE BEST PLACED то IDENTIFY THE IRRITATING LITTLE DIFFERENCES

IN PROCEDURES, STANDARDS

AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS WHICH, ALTHOUGH NOT FORMAL OR DELIBERATE BARRIERS TO TRADE, DO CREATE UNNECESSARY FRICTION AND DELAY.

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MR MILLER NOTED THAT ONCE THESE PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE BUSINESS SECTOR, OFFICIALS COULD SET ABOUT ADDRESSING AND

RESOLVING THEM.

COMPARING APEC WITH THE ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD), MR MILLER SAID HE SAW A FUTURE ROLE FOR APEC IN DEVELOPING REGIONAL INITIATIVES FOR WIDER TRADE REFORMS.

"WHEN THE URUGUAY ROUND IS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL TURN ITS ATTENTION TO A NEW ROUND AND NEW ISSUES. IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE OECD DID SOME OF THE SEMINAL WORK ON, FOR EXAMPLE, TRADE IN SERVICES, APEC SHOULD BE ABLE IN FUTURE TO DO SOME OF THE GROUNDWORK ON THESE NEW ISSUES.

"INDEED APEC MAY BE BETTER PLACED ΤΟ SECURE A BROADER CONSENSUS IN SOME AREAS BECAUSE OF ITS MORE ECONOMICALLY AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE MEMBERSHIP.

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NOTING THAT MEDIA COMMENTATORS FREQUENTLY POSED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER APEC WOULD BECOME A REGIONAL TRADE BLOC, MR MILLER SAID SUCH A STEP WAS NEITHER INEVITABLE NOR NECESSARY.

"IT IS NEITHER NECESSARY NOR DESIRABLE THAT APEC BECOME A TRADE BLOC. IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR APEC, ANY MORE THAN IT HAS PROVED NECESSARY FOR THE OECD IN CONSULTING AMONG ITS MEMBERS ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC ISSUES.

"IT IS NOT DESIRABLE, IN HONG KONG'S VIEW BECAUSE REGIONAL TRADE BLOCS DISTORT TRADE AND INVESTMENT FLOWS AND MAGNIFY RATHER THAN REDUCE FRICTIONS WITH THOSE OUTSIDE THE BLOC.

APEC CURRENTLY COMPRISES 15 MEMBERS: AUSTRALIA, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, CANADA, THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF

CHINA, HONG KONG, INDONESIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, MALAYSIA, NEW ZEALAND, THE PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, CHINESE TAIPEI, THAILAND AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

THE SEMINAR IS ORGANISED BY THE EAST-WEST CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IN ASSOCIATION WITH A MERTING OF APEC SENIOR OFFICIALS IN HONOLULU.

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