MINISTER : ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY REACHES 75.5 PCT OF TARGET

Hanoi, April 8 (ANTARA) - Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said the ASEAN Economic Community has reached 75.5 percent of its target.

"Indonesia itself has reached 80 percent (of the target)," Minister Pangestu said on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, here, Thursday.

The ASEAN Summit is being held in Vietnam's capital city, on April 8 and 9, 2010, and expected to be attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Mari Pangestu representing the coordinating minister for economic affairs, said one of the ASEAN Summit's agenda was to note progresses including the economic field of ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations).

The ASEAN Economic Community's target covers single market and production base, competitive economic region, equitable economic development and integration with the world economy.

In the service sector, however, ASEAN has not achieved the expected target as set in its blue print. The service sector included investment liberalization and people movement.

"So, people providing services could move to other places. This is a big challenge because there should be an agreement on professional standard. While each country has its own regulation, in Indonesia for instance, doctors must be able to speak the Indonesian language," she said.

However, Indonesia, as a big nation, must be ready to face the challenge. "The important things are socialization and our preparedness," she said.

In the trade sector, goods have been settled completely in 2010, except for sensitive commodity such as rice.

In January 2010, six ASEAN member countries have agreed on zero percent tariff for 99.6 percent of other tariffs which have decided. Meanwhile, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam have achieved 0-5 percent for 98.86 percent of other tariffs.

The trade among ASEAN member countries have increased three folds in eight years, from US$166.8 billion in 2000 to US$458 billion in 2008, she said.