Two-Trillion-Baht Infrastructure Projects to Be under Scrutiny at All Stages

(01/04/2013)

After the House of Representatives had voted to approve the first reading of the bill on the Government's two-trillion-baht loan for infrastructure mega-projects, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Varathep Ratanakorn said that all the infrastructure investment projects would be scrutinized at all stages. Speaking in the weekly program “Yingluck Government Meets the People” on 30 March 2013, Mr. Varathep said that the bill requires the planned projects to be initially screened by three government agencies before being submitted to the Cabinet for consideration. The three agencies include the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Ministry of Finance, and the Bureau of the Budget. At the end of the fiscal year, the Government will be required to report to Parliament results of the implementation of the projects. During the implementation period, House committees and Senate committees may call for an examination of the projects at all times. The House of Representatives on the night of 29 March 2013 voted 284 against 152 to pass the bill on the two-trillion-baht loan in the first reading. Twenty-one MPs abstained and seven refused to vote. A 36-member committee was formed to scrutinize the bill within 30 days before the second reading. The Opposition agreed that the country needed huge investment in infrastructure development, but it was against the issuance of the bill, instead of acquiring funding through the national budget, since the bill would put a heavy debt burden on the country. When interest is combined, the country would repay five trillion baht for the loan within 50 years. Mr. Varathep explained that liabilities should be mentioned together with assets and that the loan would create national income, thus greatly benefiting the country in the long run. If the Government did not begin the projects today, prices would go up and the country would pay more. He said that the projects, involving mainly transportation and logistics, would bring in enormous income from tourism and reduce production costs for exports. So in terms of assets, Thai people would gain a lot from the projects. He said that the huge investment projects would bring about significant changes in Thailand’s transportation networks, with the introduction of the new rail system to help save energy costs. Acquiring funding for the projects through the national budget might lead to disruption, as their fate would be dependent on the policies of future governments. The issuance of the bill to secure the loan would ensure the continuation of the projects and create more confidence among investors, Mr. Varathep said. A group of parliamentarians plans to ask the Constitutional Court to interpret the legality of the bill. Mr. Varathep said that the group had the right to do so, at the same time stressing that the bill was constitutional.

ASEAN Peatland Media Award “Peat for Life”

(01/04/2013)

The Global Environment Centre (GEC) and ASEAN Secretariat, is pleased to announce the launch of the ASEAN Peatland Media Award to stimulate and generate interest of individuals in reporting and highlighting peatland related stories in the media. 

The announcement was made today in conjunction with the 2013 World Forestry Day celebrations organized by the Forestry Department of Peninsula Malaysia in Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Pekan campus.

The ASEAN Peatland Media Award with the theme “Peat for Life” will honour individuals or journalists for their reporting on peatlands that covers sustainability, biodiversity, community livelihood and environmental issues in Southeast Asia region. The award is organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and Global Environment Centre (GEC) with the support from the IFAD/GEF-ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP) and of EU-SEApeat Project to promote sustainable management of peatlands in Southeast Asia.

More than 24 million ha of peatlands are found in the Southeast Asian region. Peatlands are naturally forested and provide valuable goods and services including timber and non-timber forest products, fish, water supply, flood control, carbon storage and climate regulation. If peatlands are drained or degraded, they are susceptible to fire. Peatland fires are the main source of transboundary smoke haze in Southeast Asia which is ASEAN’s most serious regional environmental problem.

“Peatlands is one of the focal areas under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to tackle the root cause of transboundary haze caused by peat fire.  The ASEAN Peatland Media Award aims to raise awareness on issues and challenges in peatland management in the region and bring success stories of government action and grassroots peatland conservation efforts in ASEAN countries to the public’s attention,” said Dr Raman Letchumanan, Director of the Environmental Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, who is also Project Director of the APFP project.

The contest is divided into 2 categories, Print and New Media and submission is open to all individuals and organisations for articles on peat related topics published between 1st January and 31st December 2013. Topics can cover peatland related subject, ranging from ecological to socioeconomic, which has general significance to the ASEAN community; including peatland fire and haze, scientific research/discovery, peatland and climate change, deforestation and land degradation,  biodiversity conservation, community livelihood on peatland, economics and sustainability of peatland development etc.

Print Media includes newspaper and magazine articles, reports and any other printed materials. For New Media, the category includes videos, blogs, and other materials which have been published online during the same period. Entries are judged based on the content, message and approach of the published article. Cash prizes totaling US$3600 and a stay in the award winning resort of Frangipani Langkawi worth US$1,000 are waiting for the winners of both categories for their outstanding reporting.

Submission will be accepted beginning 1st April 2013 until midnight on 31st December 2013 (+8 GMT). The contest guidelines, rules and regulations, and additional information can be found at http://www.aseanpeat.net

For media enquiries and information, please contact:
Ms. Noor Azura Ahmad, Mobile : +60 19 267 4896     
email : azura@gec.org.my

Ms. Adelaine Tan,  Mobile : +60 12 239 2983
e-mail: adelaine@gec.org.my 

ABOUT APFP and SEApeat
The ASEAN Peatland Forest Project (APFP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); is led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Secretariat and selected ASEAN Member States while the related SEApeat project, funded by the European Union involve all ten ASEAN countries between 2010-2014.  The projects aim to enhance capacity, support fire prevention and sustainable management of peatlands in the region. Further details of these two initiatives can be found at www.aseanpeat.net.
 
ABOUT GEC
Global Environment Centre is a Malaysian non-profit organization established in 1998 to work on environmental issues of global importance. GEC works regionally and internationally both directly and through many partners. It supports information exchange and capacity building as well as undertakes strategic projects, particularly in developing countries. GEC’s mission is to support the protection of the environment and sustainable use of the natural resources to meet local, regional and global needs, through strategic partnerships with communities and like-minded organisations. It is a founding partner of the ASEAN Peatland Management Initiative and has been appointed as the Regional Project Executing Agency (RPEA) for the APFP.

ASEAN and Civil Society Work Together for Disaster Resilience in the Region

(01/04/2013)

"We are not strangers to each other, as we are all a family. We have the same objectives of becoming disaster resilient and safer communities," says Mr. Suporn Ratananakin, speaking on behalf of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Thailand, currently the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). This statement was made during the partnership dialogue between ACDM and civil society representatives held last week in Bangkok, Thailand.

This dialogue between government and civil society was part of a process for reaching a common understanding and ways of working together in support of the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). The process started with consultations with civil society organisations in the countries, followed by a regional consultation attended by national and regional civil society representative. "It is crucial that we successfully take this process forward. Partnership between the ACDM and civil society upholds the very purpose of the ASEAN Charter, which is to 'promote a people-oriented ASEAN in which all sectors of society are encouraged to participate in, and benefit from, the process of ASEAN integration and community-building.' This means that we are all together in disaster risk reduction and disaster management," according to Mr. Ratananakin.

The dialogue was attended by representatives of the national disaster management offices and civil society organisations that work both in national and regional in scope, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The civil society participants to the dialogue represent a diversity of organisations working with vulnerable groups and communities in ASEAN, such as those working with women, children, older persons, persons with disability, and even organisations working for the protection of animals during emergencies.

During the dialogue, proposed areas of partnership between ASEAN and civil societies in achieving disaster resilience were discussed. These areas include disaster risk assessment and early warning that considers vulnerability information at community level. Civil society also proposed practical actions to assist ASEAN Member States in ensuring disaster preparedness, prevention, and mitigation in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction at various levels; enhancing safety in schools; and reaching out to citizens of ASEAN to instill a culture of resilience. Further, when the need for regional response arises, civil society can offer its resources to efficiently and effectively assist the affected Member State, and to provide its expertise in developing recovery tools. Other areas of cooperation are in training, knowledge sharing, resource mobilisation, and further strengthening collaborative and consultative mechanisms at the regional level.

“The proposals coming from civil society organisations are indeed useful and compliments the initiatives of ASEAN Member States," according to Lee Yam Ming Lee of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, who chairs several strategic components and building blocks under the AADMER Work Programme.

"Once members of the ACDM approve the proposals, the AHA Centre is ready to work with civil society organisations to implement activities in the identified key areas," according to Mr. Said Faisal, Executive Director of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre). The AHA Centre is the operational engine for the implementation of AADMER.

The CSOs also expressed desire to form an inclusive regional consultative body that will work hand-in-hand with the ACDM on the implementation of AADMER, where constructive engagement between CSOs and ACDM is the key principle. This regional consultative body will have to be linked with existing national platforms working on disaster risk reduction in the Member States, as well as other stakeholders.

“The formation of a regional consultative body of civil society organisations will complement existing national platforms on disaster risk reduction," says Dr. Aung Lin Aye of the Relief and Resettlement Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

"The ASEAN is a trailblazer in the area of regional joint emergency response and strengthening disaster risk reduction mechanisms globally. ASEAN's model of partnerships with civil society on implementation of the AADMER is another high point worth learning from by other regional bodies," says Mr. Cherian Matthews, speaking as Chair of the AADMER Partnership Group, a consortium of international non-government organisations that has been supporting ASEAN in the implementation of disk risk reduction.

The AADMER Partnership Group has been working closely with the ACDM, ASEAN Secretariat and the AHA Centre in implementing AADMER since 2009. The dialogue was organised by the AADMER Partnership Group in coordination with the ACDM and with the support of Directorate-General European Commission - Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection.

The partnership dialogue was held right after the ACDM Workshop on AADMER Institutionalisation and Development of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators held on 25-27 March 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. The said workshop was organised by the ASEAN Secretariat with the support of ASEAN-Australia Cooperation for AADMER Work Programme.

Myanmar Prepares for Leadership of the ASEAN Economic Community

(01/04/2013)

Myanmar’s leadership as ASEAN chair in 2014 will be critical to the success of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. This key message emerged from the U.S.-supported workshop last week, which brought together around 70 participants from the Government and the private sector to discuss the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Economic Ministers next year.  The discussion explored the benefits of the AEC and reviewed the progress of the implementation of the AEC by both ASEAN and Myanmar.

“The ASEAN Economic Community presents the best opportunity for the ASEAN Member States to compete intensively for markets outside the region while presenting a more favorable environment to encourage domestic and foreign investment at home,” said U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek J. Mitchell at the opening of the event. “The AEC will enable ASEAN firms to gain economies of scale that would be impossible in a single country in the region.”

U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN David L. Carden added that, “I have every confidence Myanmar will be a leading contributor to ASEAN integration, including economic integration.  We are pleased to see the Government and private sector are focused on the road ahead and that other ASEAN Member States are showing strong support."

As the Government prepares to assume the ASEAN chair for the first time, ASEAN Member States will collectively be monitoring the necessary obligations to implement the Blueprint for the ASEAN Economic Community.

“This is the right time for us to have this very important discussion on how to involve Myanmar in the AEC and the global community”, said Dr. Khin San Yee, Deputy Minister, Ministry for National Planning and Economic Development. “Our discussions over the next two days give us a great opportunity to take stock, identify priorities and plan ahead for our role as chair to lead ASEAN in achieving its 2015 target.”

The workshop presented the AEC scorecard that captures not only the AEC implementation by ASEAN as a region to date, but also a more detailed scorecard on the performance of Myanmar. The scorecard highlighted areas where Myanmar will need to accelerate AEC preparation and areas where technical assistance from Dialogue Partners could be provided.

“There is much to be done if ASEAN is to achieve the 2015 AEC target,” said Ms. Anna Robeniol of the ASEAN Secretariat.  “Under the AEC we are moving towards the creation of a collective wealth that will benefit all of us.  But there is no free lunch.  There is a need for each and every Member State to be responsible and committed.”

In addition to the AEC scorecard, the workshop featured an exchange of views between the government and the private sector on the status of preparations for the AEC. Private sector participants were made up of representatives from the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which represents over 18,000 businesses and associations.

U.S.-supported study suggest that the successful implementation of the AEC will result in an increase in ASEAN real incomes by 5.3%, as well as growth in exports of up to 43% in many manufacturing sectors.  Myanmar stands to be one of the greatest beneficiaries of the AEC, with an estimated 4.4% increase in national income and a 66% increase in exports.

The workshop was organised by the U.S. Government-funded ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility.

Guidelines on Developing Core Competencies in Competition Policy and Law for ASEAN

(01/04/2013)

The Guidelines on Developing Core Competencies in Competition Policy and Law for ASEAN (“RCC Guidelines”) were officially launched at the 11th Meeting of the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) on 25-26 March 2013 in Manila, Philippines. The RCC Guidelines, based on ASEAN Member States’ experience and internationally-recommended practices, are for use by staff of competition-related agencies in ASEAN Member States in developing and strengthening their required core competencies. The RCC Guidelines focus on three key competency areas: (i) Institutional Building; (ii) Enforcement; and (iii) Advocacy.

The RCC Guidelines were one of the initiatives in support of AEC building under the AEGC medium-term work plan 2011-2012. The development of the RCC Guidelines is led by the AEGC’s Working Group on Developing RCC (WG-RCC) with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).