ASEAN Leaders Say No To Non-Tariff Barriers, Says PM

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- ASEAN leaders have agreed that non-tariff barriers needed to be addressed by the regional grouping to further boost free movement of goods and services. The need to remove barriers to trade was expressed by most ASEAN leaders, Prime Minister Najib Razak said. "This (view was) expressed by leaders from many countries. ASEAN hopes that there will be freer trade of goods and services," he told a press conference after chairing the plenary session of the 26th ASEAN Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here Monday. He was asked if there was a strong message sent to ASEAN member countries during the plenary session. Earlier, Najib said that removing barriers to trade, which goes beyond reducing tariffs, must also include the elimination of non-tariff barriers, such as overly burdensome regulations that hamper free and fair trade. "We must accelerate programmes to harmonise standards, increasing capital market and financial integration, and promote the seamless movement of goods, services, investments and professionals between our countries," he said. In an exclusive interview with BERNAMA prior to the 26th ASEAN Summit, the prime minister said "pricing nationalism" should not be allowed to become a threat that could negate efforts to form the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by year-end. In the next few months before the AEC is formed, Najib said efforts to remove or abolish tariffs should be further enhanced. In another development, Najib said Malaysia called for the strengthening of the existing mechanisms, including the East Asia Summit. Malaysia, as the current chair of ASEAN, is expected to announce the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community by year-end. Formed on Aug 8, 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the membership of ASEAN has expanded to include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. -- BERNAMA