BIMP-EAGA TO PUSH FOR FURTHER CROSS-BORDER INTERCONNECTIVITY

KOTA KINBALU, June 18 (Bernama) -- Key transport industry players in Brunei
-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) are poised
to push for greater mobility in trade, tourism and investments across the
sub-region.

The 8th BIMP-EAGA Transport, Infrastructure, and ICT Development Cluster
meeting (TIICTD) in Puerto Princesa City, Philippines on June 21-23, 2011 will
discuss updates and improvements on cross-border air, land and sea transport
connectivity.

It will also look at the status of the implementation of various priority
projects geared towards enhancing connectivity in the sub-region, including the
establishment of new priority air routes and revival of suspended air and sea
transport linkages.

In a statement Saturday, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said the
meeting was expected to come up with key recommendations to facilitate the
establishment of the proposed Kuching-Brunei, Kuching-Pontianak, Kota
Kinabalu-Brunei, Tawau-Tarakan, and Balikpapan-Bandar Seri Begawan air routes.

"Efforts to resume suspended flights from Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu
and the Zamboanga-Sandakan air route will also be pushed," it said.

MinDA said the meeting would also review the proposed provision of
incentives to support transport infrastructure and transport services, various
transportation studies as well as pending memorandum of agreements.

Meanwhile, a CEO Forum on Information and Communications Technology
will also be held simultaneously with the TIICTD cluster meeting.

The forum will gather key private sector players in the BIMP-EAGA
telecommunications and information technology sector to discuss and agree on
major ICT projects.

-- BERNAMA