ASEAN, sub region group push for stronger linkages to tap economic potentials

Officials of Brunei-Indonesia- Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and ASEAN Secretariat pledged commitment to push for the establishment of stronger linkages among sectoral working groups to strengthen further collaboration and explore the untapped economic potentials in some sub-regional groupings within the economic region, a statement sent by ASEAN Secretariat to Xinhua said here on Friday.prepreg 

The BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

The ASEAN Secretariat suggested that as rapid growth takes place in many other areas of the ASEAN region, the BIMP-EAGA must double its efforts in strengthening collaboration to keep up with the increasing growth of fellow sub-regional groupings.Antique bath fixturesVintage tubs 

"This is a timely activity to serve as a platform for exchanging views among relevant stakeholders in synergizing the programs and projects in the ASEAN community particularly in sub- regional groups like the BIMP-EAGA,tyre equipments" Director of Finance, Industry and Infrastructure Directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat Somsak Pipoppinyo said in their meeting held earlier this week. 

The BIMP-EAGA cooperation has in recent years initiated activities that help its member-countries develop and link with ASEAN goals, including the implementation of a number of priority projects under the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC). 

He added that by forging stronger and more sustainable economic ties among member-countries, wider sub-regional and region-wide goals, especially the achievement of an ASEAN Community by 2015, will be fulfilled. 

The ASEAN Economic and Socio-Cultural Community Blueprints recognize BIMP-EAGA as one of the sub-regional groups to receive support from the Initiative of ASEAN Integration and Equitable Economic Development, a mechanism that aims to achieve the seamless flow of trade, investment,Auto Accessories wholesalers and people within the ASEAN region by 2015. 

Pipoppinyo added that BIMP-EAGA can also serve as a platform for Narrowing the Development Gap (NDG), another mechanism within ASEAN that pushes for mainstreaming social development issues and project implementation to help reduce various forms of development gaps among member-countries where pockets of underdevelopment still exist. 

During the meeting representatives from several ASEAN dialogue partners also expressed interests on BIMP-EAGA-related activities. 

"With BIMP-EAGA's nearly 20 years of sub-regional cooperation experience and with the ASEAN Economic Community setting in by 2015, there is indeed much that both EAGA and ASEAN can work on together under shared strategies and beyond borders to realize the shared ASEAN vision," Romeo Montenegro of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Philippine coordinating office for BIMP- EAGA, said. 

He added that as a test bed of ASEAN, BIMP-EAGA can carry out some of the protocols and agreements of ASEAN at a more manageable level with greater success and can be a model in implementation. 

A BIMP-EAGA Summit is scheduled in Bandar Seri Begawan in April this year in which updates will be discussed among representatives of member-countries. The event will be hosted by Brunei Darussalam, which will assume BIMP-EAGA's chairmanship after the Philippines.