Friday, January 1, 2016
Goal of
single Asean market with gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.5 trillion &
trade of $1 trillion will take many years, achieved gradually, step by step,
sector by sector.
AEC 2015' is no longer a slogan but a reality that the region's
governments, businesses and people will have to embrace before the year is out.
How ready are we?
6/01/2015
Adapted from article by Asia Focus Team
By the end of this year the 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are supposed to join forces as a single economic community, the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
The AEC was supposed to have come into being four days ago but members realised four years ago that the deadline would never be met, so they made a cosmetic change. No one believes the new deadline of Dec 31, 2015 will be met either. Even then, there will be questions about how many will be ready to cope with the impact.
On paper, no one doubts the potential of a single market with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.5 trillion and intra-regional trade of $1 trillion. But reaching the full potential the AEC offers could take many years.
The goal of Asean economic integration is to become a single production base where goods can be manufactured anywhere and distributed efficiently to anywhere within the region. Asean needs to work towards the goal of freer movement of labour andcapital, but in reality, integration and the free flow of resources will only be gradual,step by step, sector by sector.
For now, opinions are mixed on how far Asean countries have come in doing everything necessary to make the big first step. Governments and the Aseansecretariat feel that more than 80% of their goals have been achieved, but the private sector does not see evidence of much progress when it comes to making it easier to do business across borders. Then again, some businesses, especially smaller ones, have done little or nothing to prepare themselves.
So far, Asean overall has progressed to a level of 80% in terms of eliminating tariffson goods traded within the region. Some items remain on sensitive lists in each country, for instance coffee beans, copra, potatoes and cut flowers in Thailand, but these items will have tariffs reduced to zero by the end of 2015. Asean in general has been on the right track to eliminate all tariffs by the end of 2015.
Only 50% of businesses in Asean are estimated to have taken advantage of tariffreductions under the regional FTA [Free Trade Agreement] and governments have not been active enough to encourage the private sector to utilise them. Required harmonisation of standards and regulations still has to be carried out and that shouldencourage more businesses to apply for Asean privileges.
Even though tariffs have been largely reduced, non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) are still used widely in the form of quotas and licences, although countries are required toscale down and totally remove them under the free trade agreement (FTA). An example of an NTB is inconsistent and unreasonable labelling and packagingrequirements that impedes free trade across Asean.
Objectives such as free movement of skilled labour and free movement of capital andinvestment are far from having been achieved.
To be competitive under the free flow of labour in Asean, Thailand needs to improve education for eight professions: doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, architects,accountants, surveyors and the tourism industry.
In terms of investment and services, liberalisation of 128 sectors was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 but is now delayed to this year. So far, only somesectors such as retail, wholesaling and transport have been opened while banking andinsurance have not been opened.
The benefits of an integrated financial services sector and capital markets should be recognised as fundamental. Asean leaders are trying to protect and develop their nascent financial services and capital markets sectors. A lot of time will have been wasted before these minor markets are seen to have failed to attract capital andinvestment because of their lack of size, liquidity and recognised regulatorystandards.
In terms of which countries have made the most progress toward the AEC, Singapore is the most advanced. It has always been a free and open economy. Other countries are in various stages of being ready, with certain sectors, often termed strategic, still being protected. The least ready are the least developed countries (LDC) that fear being overwhelmed by more efficient neighbours.
The automobile industry in Thailand is one success story. It has benefited from being a single production base with parts from other Asean countries able to cross borderswithout tariffs and other impediments.
6/01/2015
Adapted from article by Asia Focus Team
By the end of this year the 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are supposed to join forces as a single economic community, the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
The AEC was supposed to have come into being four days ago but members realised four years ago that the deadline would never be met, so they made a cosmetic change. No one believes the new deadline of Dec 31, 2015 will be met either. Even then, there will be questions about how many will be ready to cope with the impact.
On paper, no one doubts the potential of a single market with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.5 trillion and intra-regional trade of $1 trillion. But reaching the full potential the AEC offers could take many years.
The goal of Asean economic integration is to become a single production base where goods can be manufactured anywhere and distributed efficiently to anywhere within the region. Asean needs to work towards the goal of freer movement of labour andcapital, but in reality, integration and the free flow of resources will only be gradual,step by step, sector by sector.
For now, opinions are mixed on how far Asean countries have come in doing everything necessary to make the big first step. Governments and the Aseansecretariat feel that more than 80% of their goals have been achieved, but the private sector does not see evidence of much progress when it comes to making it easier to do business across borders. Then again, some businesses, especially smaller ones, have done little or nothing to prepare themselves.
So far, Asean overall has progressed to a level of 80% in terms of eliminating tariffson goods traded within the region. Some items remain on sensitive lists in each country, for instance coffee beans, copra, potatoes and cut flowers in Thailand, but these items will have tariffs reduced to zero by the end of 2015. Asean in general has been on the right track to eliminate all tariffs by the end of 2015.
Only 50% of businesses in Asean are estimated to have taken advantage of tariffreductions under the regional FTA [Free Trade Agreement] and governments have not been active enough to encourage the private sector to utilise them. Required harmonisation of standards and regulations still has to be carried out and that shouldencourage more businesses to apply for Asean privileges.
Even though tariffs have been largely reduced, non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) are still used widely in the form of quotas and licences, although countries are required toscale down and totally remove them under the free trade agreement (FTA). An example of an NTB is inconsistent and unreasonable labelling and packagingrequirements that impedes free trade across Asean.
Objectives such as free movement of skilled labour and free movement of capital andinvestment are far from having been achieved.
To be competitive under the free flow of labour in Asean, Thailand needs to improve education for eight professions: doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, architects,accountants, surveyors and the tourism industry.
In terms of investment and services, liberalisation of 128 sectors was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 but is now delayed to this year. So far, only somesectors such as retail, wholesaling and transport have been opened while banking andinsurance have not been opened.
The benefits of an integrated financial services sector and capital markets should be recognised as fundamental. Asean leaders are trying to protect and develop their nascent financial services and capital markets sectors. A lot of time will have been wasted before these minor markets are seen to have failed to attract capital andinvestment because of their lack of size, liquidity and recognised regulatorystandards.
In terms of which countries have made the most progress toward the AEC, Singapore is the most advanced. It has always been a free and open economy. Other countries are in various stages of being ready, with certain sectors, often termed strategic, still being protected. The least ready are the least developed countries (LDC) that fear being overwhelmed by more efficient neighbours.
The automobile industry in Thailand is one success story. It has benefited from being a single production base with parts from other Asean countries able to cross borderswithout tariffs and other impediments.
ປະຫວັດແຫ່ງຄວາມເປັນມາຂອງຊາວເມືອງງອຍ
(History of Muang ngoi's villagger)
ຫຼັງຈາກ ເມືອງວັງວຽງ ສາທາລະນະລັດ
ປະຊາທິປະໄປ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ ເລີ່ມເຖິງຈຸດອີ່ມຕົວ ແລະ
ໃກ້ຫຼຸດວິຖີດັ້ງເດີມຢູ່ໃນຊ່ວງເວລາບໍ່ກີ່ປີທີ່ຜ່ານມາ
ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວແບ໊ກແພ໊ກຈື່ງເລີ່ມຫາສະຖານທີ່ງຽບສະຫງົບ ແລະ ເປັນທຳມະຊາດແຫ່ງໃໝ່
ຈົນກະທັ້ງໄດ້ໄປພົບ “ເມືອງງອຍ” ນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວຊາວຕະເວັນຕົກຈື່ງເລີ່ມຍ້າຍໄປວິເວກທີ່ນັ້ນ.
ເຖີງຈະມີ ຣີສອຕ໌,
ເຮືອນພັກຫຼາຍແຫ່ງຜຸດຂື້ນເພື່ອຮອງຮັບ ແຕ່ໂດຍລວມແລ້ວເມືອງງອຍຍັງຄົງສະພາບດັ້ງເດີມ
ຄົງຄວາມງຽບສະຫງົບຄູ່ກັບວິຖີດັ້ງເດີມເອົາໄວ້ໄດ້ຢ່າງດີ
ນັ້ນກໍ່ເພາະວ່າປະຊາຊົນກຽມພ້ອມທີ່ຈະຮັບຄວາມປ່ຽນແປງໄວ້ລ່ວງໜ້າແລ້ວ ໂດຍອາໄສປະກົດການ “ຝຣັ່ງບຸກເມືອງວັງວຽງ”
ໄດ້ກາຍເປັນບົດຮຽນໃຫ່ພວກເຂົາສາມາດປັບຕົວຮັບມືກັບນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວໄດ້ຢ່າງສະດວກ ແລະ
ເໝາະສົມໂດຍທີ່ບໍ່ທີ່ປ່ຽນຕົວເອງ ແລະ ສະພາບຊຸມຊົນຈົນຂັດວິຖີຊີວິດພື້ນຖິ່ນ ແລະ
ວັດທະນະທຳຮີດຄອງປະເພນີດັ້ງເດີມ. ຈະເຫັນໄດ້ຈາກການກິດຈະກຳຕ່າງໆ ຮອງຮັບນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວຫຼາກຫຼາຍປະເພດໃຫ້ເຂົ້າສະພາບແວດລ້ອມເຊັ່ນ:
ພູຜາປ່າດົງ ແລະ ເຮືອນພັກໂຮມສເຕຣ໌ເພື່ອສຳພັດວິຖີຊີວິດຊາວພື້ນເມືອງ. ເມືອງງອຍຕັ້ງຢູ່ລະຫວ່າງກາງໜ່ວຍພູຜານ້ອຍໃຫຍ່,
ຊ່ວງໜ້າຝົນຈົນເຖິງລະດູໜາວຈື່ງມີເມກປົກຄຸມຢູ່ຕະຫຼອດທັ້ງວັນເຊື່ງຄ້າຍໆກັບປາກົດການທີ່ຍັກ
ແລະ ເທວະດາປົກປ້ອງເມືອງນ້ອຍໆແຫ່ງໜື່ງ
ເໝາະສຳຫຼັບນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວສໄຕລ໌ທີ່ມັກຢູ່ແບບສະຫງົບ.
ເມືອງງອຍແຫ່ງນີ້ບໍ່ໄດ້ແມ່ນເມືອງໃໝ່
ແຕ່ມີປະຫວັດສາດຍ້ອນຫຼັງເມື່ອ 600 ປີ, ມັນເປັນພຽງແຕ່ຕົວເມືອງນ້ອຍໆ
ຢູ່ພາຍໃຕ້ການປົກຄອງຂອງອານາຈັກລ້ານຊ້າງໂບຮານມາຕັ້ງແຕ່ສະໄໝເຈົ້າຟ້າງຸ່ມ ( ພ.ສ 1859 –
1936 ) ປະຖົມມະຫາກະສັດແຫ່ງລ້ານຊ້າງ.
ມີເລື່ອງເລົ່າຂານປາກຕໍ່ປາກກັນມາວ່າ
ຊື່ເມືອງງອຍຕອນັ້ນໄດ້ຊື່ວ່າ “ທ້າວກາວອຍ”, ເຈົ້າພະຍາເມືອງໃນຍຸກຕົ້ນໆ. ຕອນແລກຊາວບ້ານເອີ້ນວ່າ ”ເມືອງທ້າວກາວອຍ“ ຕໍ່ມາເຫຼືອງແຕ່ “ເມືອງວອຍ” ກ່ອນຈະປ່ຽນມາເປັນ “ງອຍ” ແລະ ໃນທີ່ສຸດ (ງອຍແປວ່າ “ໃກ້ຈະຕົກ”).
ເມືອງງອຍຖືວ່າເປັນເມືອງຍຸດທະສາດທາງທະຫານມາຕັ້ງແຕ່ຄັ້ງບູຮານນະການຕະຫຼອດມາ
ຈົນມາເຖິງສະໄໝສົງຄາມອິນໂດຈີນ ແລະ ສົງຄາມລະຫວ່າງລັດຖະບານ, ຝ່າຍຂວາກັບປະຊາຊົນປະຕິວັດລາວ.
ເນື່ອງຈາກມີສາຍແມ່ນ້ຳອູສາຍນ້ຳທີ່ໃຫຍ່ແຫ່ງໜື່ງໃນລາວໄຫຼຜ່ານໜ້າເມືອງ
ເຊິ່ງເປັນແມ່ນ້ຳທີ່ເຊື່ອມລະຫວ່າງເມືອງຜົ້ງສາລີ,
ເມືອງຂວາທາງຕອນເໜືອກັບເມືອງຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຊື່ງເປັນເມືອງສູນກາງອຳນາດລັດ.
ເມືອງງອຍຈື່ງເປັນທັ້ງເສັ້ນທາງຄົມມະນາຄົມທີ່ສຳຄັນ ແລະ ເປັນເສັ້ນທາງລຳລຽງພົນ, ຍຸດທະປັດໄຈທີ່ສະດວກທີ່ສຸດເມື່ອທຽບກັບທາງບົກ.
ແຕ່ລະຝ່າຍຈື່ງພະຍາຍາມຍຶດເອົາເມືອງງອຍເປັນຖານທີ່ໝັ້ນໃຫ້ໄດ້ ຖ້າຫາກຍຶດບໍ່ໄດ້ກໍ່ຈະມັກທຳລາຍຖິ້ມເຊັ່ນ:
ໃນຊ່ວງສົງຄາມກາງເມືອງລາວລະຫວ່າງປີ ພ.ສ 2496 – 2518,
ຊ່ວງນັ້ນສະຫະລັດອາເມຣິກາໃຊ້ເຄື່ອງບິນຖິ້ມລະເລເບີດລົງໄປທີ່ຕົວເມືອງເພື່ອທຳລາຍຖານທີ່ໝັ້ນຂອງຝ່າຍຊ້າຍ
ຊາວບ້ານຈື່ງໄດ້ອົບພະຍົບເຂົ້າໄປລົບຢູ່ໃນຖ້ຳກ່າງ
ໃຊ້ຊີວິດຢູ່ໃນຖ້ຳເປັນເວລາຫຼາຍປີກວ່າສົງຄາມຈະສະຫງົບ.
ເມືອງງອຍຢູ່ຫ່າງຈາກຕົວເມືອງຫຼວງພະບາງໄປທາງທິດຕະເວັນອອກສ່ຽງເໜືອປະມານ
135 ກິໂລແມັດ, ກ່ອນໜ້ານີ້ໃຜຈະເດີນທາງໄປເມືອງງອຍມີວິທີດຽວຄື: ນັ່ງເຮືອເພາະບໍ່ມີຖະໜົນເຂົ້າເຖິງ
ໂດຍຕ້ອງນັ່ງລົດຈາກຫຼວງພະບາງໄປຫາໜອງຂຽວໃຊ້ເວລາປະມານ 3 ຊົ່ວໂມງ,
ຈາກນັ້ນກໍ່ລົງເຮືອຂື້ນມຸ່ງໜ້າເມືອທາງເໜືອເມືອຕາມລ້ອງແມ່ນ້ຳອູປະມານ 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງ,
ແຕ່ຕອນນີ້ສາມາດນັ່ງລົດຕູ້ຫຼືລົດເມໄປໄດ້ແລ້ວ. ໃນຕົວເມືອງງອຍມີປະຊາກອນປະມານ 700 ຄົນ,
180 ຫຼັງຄາເຮືອນ ສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ຈະເປັນລາວລຸ່ມ,
ສ່ວນຊຸມຊົນໃນຊົນນະບົດອອກໄປໂດຍຮອບຈະເປັນເຜົ່າມົ້ງ ແລະ
ໃນກຸ່ມນີ້ແຍກຕົວອອກໄປອີກຫຼາຍຊົນເຜົ່າ.
ລາຍໄດ້ຫຼັກຂອງຊາວເມືອງສ່ວນຫຼາຍຈະມາຈາກຜົນຜະລິດກະເສດເປັນອັນດັບໜືື່ງ
ຕໍ່ດ້ວຍຫາປາ ແລະ ຫັດຖະກຳ,
ແຕ່ຫຼັງຈາກນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວຕ່າງຊາດໂດຍສະເພາະຊາວຕະເວັນຕົກທີ່ແວະວຽນມາພັກເຊົາກັນຫຼາຍຂື້ນ
ແລະ ເປັນເວລານານສົ່ງຜົນໃຫ້ລາຍໄດ້ ການທ່ອງທ່ຽວກໍ່ພຸ່ງຂື້ນໄປເປັນອັນດັບທີ່ສອງ,
ໃນຊ່ວງລະດູໜາວບາງປີໄດ້ມີນັກທ່ອງທ່ຽວຫຼາວໝື່ນແສນຄົນແຫ່ກັນເຂົ້າໄປທ່ຽວຊົມຕົວເມືອງງອຍ.
(ແຫຼ່ງທີ່ມາຈາກຮູບພາບຄື
ໄດ້ຮີບໂຮມມາຈາກຫຼາກຫຼາກແຫ່ງເພື່ອໃຫ້ຜູ້ທີ່ສົນໃຈໃນການຄົ້ນຫາກ່ຽວກັນສະຖານທີ່ທ່ອງທ່ຽວໃນຕົວເມືອງງອຍ.)
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