Southeast Asian countries are moving closer toward integration with a proposed roadmap to integrate freight, transport and other logistics services to move goods more cheaply and efficiently, officials and documents said yesterday.

The initiative, to be signed by economic ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting this week in Manila, aims to liberalize logistics services and enhance the regional bloc's production base in line with ASEAN's move to create a single market by 2015, a final draft of the roadmap showed.

The measures include enhancing competitiveness of ASEAN logistics service providers by expanding their capability and developing their human resources.

Maritime cargo handling, storage and warehousing, freight transport agency services, courier services and customs clearance services are among the areas to be liberalized by 2013.

Beginning this year, ASEAN will develop the region's transport logistics corridor and identify the needs to connect gateways of member countries, the draft said.

By next year, ASEAN will implement a multilateral agreement to fully liberalize air freight services and sign a framework agreement on facilitation of interstate transport, it added.

ASEAN economic ministers meet today to next Monday.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/23/2007 page7)