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20th Pan Asian E-Commerce Alliance
Steering Committee Meeting in Tokyo
(Hong Kong, 17 September 2005) The Pan-Asian E-Commerce Alliance
(PAA) held its 20th Steering Committee meeting in Tokyo, Japan
from 13th September to 14th September 2005. Established in July
2000, the PAA is the first regional e-Commerce alliance in Asia
that provides secure and reliable IT infrastructure to promote
efficient global trade and logistics. Current PAA Members comprise
Tradelink of Hong Kong, Trade-Van of Chinese Taipei, CrimsonLogic
of Singapore, KTNET of Korea, CIECC of China, TEDI Club of Japan,
Dagang Net of Malaysia, TEDMEV of Macau and CAT Telecom Public
Co. Ltd of Thailand.
Mr. Mikio Sasaki, Chairman of TEDI Club and Chairman of Board
of Mitsubishi Corporation hosted a Dinner for PAA Members. Other
honoured guests present were Mr. Yasuhito Harayama, Deputy Director-General,
Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau at Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry and Mr. Keisuke Takanashi, Executive Managing
Director, Japan Foreign Trade Council.
Mr. Sasaki told the gathering that Japan, under its “e-Japan
Strategy Plan”, will become one of the most advanced IT
countries in the world. All trade-related ministries are in the
process of developing policies for system optimisation. Mr. Sasaki
said that with such an initiative and the ratification of the
Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL),
Japanese logistics community will benefit from simplified customs
clearance and efficient port procedures.
TEDI Club, with broad representations from the industries for
international trade, is working closely with various government
ministries to accelerate the facilitation, standardization and
digitalization of trade procedures in Japan. Mr. Sasaki firmly
believes that the PAA experience would inspire both TEDI Club
and the Japanese trade facilitation community in achieving their
goals. At the same time, TEDI’s collaboration with the Japanese
Government, will advance the PAA’s objectives in paperless
trading. Mr. Sasaki is also confident that PAA initiatives will
increase paperless trading among Asian economies.
During the meeting, PAA Members reported that PAA had further
extended its cross-border electronic document exchange services
in facilitating customs clearance to more freight forwarders in
the PAA regions. Several well known big companies are involved.
Examples are Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors and LG. PAA will
continue to focus on expanding its market in the logistics sector.
The cross-border electronic Certificate of Origin (e-C/O) service
initiated by CrimsonLogic, KTNET and Trade-Van will be launched
by the end of 2005 as planned. Chinese Taipei Customs will accept
e-C/Os originated from Korea during this trial, and from other
economies thereafter. Similarly, the trading communities of Singapore
and Korea will benefit from the mutual exchange of e-C/O between
the two economies.
The next (21st) PAA Steering Committee Meeting will be held in
Seoul in the 3rd week of December 2005.
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For press enquiries, please contact Tradelink (Corporate Communications)
on 2599 1686.
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