APA MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN THE 8^TH ASIAN SHIPPING FORUM

South Korea played host to the 8^th Asian Shipping Forum held in Seoul Plaza Hotel on November 20-22, 2002. This year’s Forum carried the theme “The Current Status of Major Shipping and Port Policies and the Future Policy Prospect”. It was participated in by experts from the private sector such as those from shipowners’ associations and shipping-related institutions, and UN ESCAP as well as senior government officials from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Of the last three countries which are members of the ASEAN Ports Association (APA), only the Philippines had representative coming from the port organization in the person of the Philippine Ports Authority General Manager, Alfonso G. Cusi. The other APA member ports, like the other participating countries, were represented by officials from the maritime organization.

The Asian Shipping Forum is an annual activity which started in 1995. It was initiated by Japan with senior officials from the maritime sector of the following ten (10) Asian economies participating: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. The Forum has since its inception offered the proper venue for the discussion of maritime issues and common concerns in the region with emphasis on shipping. A system of rotating the venue among Asian member economies has also been put into practice. To provide a focal point of discussion, a central theme is being adopted each year. During the last seven (7) years, the Forum was held with the following venues and themes:

	Host Country	Date	Theme
1st	Japan	06-01-1995	Shipping Policy in Each Country
2nd	Hong Kong	06-11-1996	Effects of Europe & USA Shipping Policy, WTO
3rd	Korea	06-04-1997	Safety & Environmental Problem in Shipping
4th	Singapore	08-20-1998	Effects of Financial Crisis, WTO
5th	China	07-27-1999	Effects of Asian Economic Crisis, WTO
6th	Philippines	10-26-2000	Gearing Up for the Asian Market Rebound for the next 5 Years (2000-2004)
7th	Thailand	12-06-2001	Shipping & Port Development Strategies & Cooperation Among Asian Countries

The recently concluded 8^th Asian Shipping Forum consisted of presentations and discussions of respective country papers, development of major shipping policies and adoption of a joint statement. It was capped by a guided tour of the Korea Folk Village which showcases houses of the commoners and noblemen, shops for herbal medicine and a market.

The Conference officially opened with a congratulatory address by the Deputy Minister for Planning and Management which was immediately followed by an Opening Remarks by the Director General of the Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Two other presentations from Korea, i.e. Korea’s Shipping Tax System and the Introduction of Tonnage Tax and Improvement in Ship Registry System took place on the first day of the Conference. The Tonnage Tax System is being adopted in European countries like United Kingdom, Norway and the Netherlands. The study on the implementation of this in Korea is also nearing completion.

On the second day, the presentation centered around the status of major shipping and port policies of other participating countries. In particular, the presentation of Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Cusi has reduction of logistics cost as the focal point. Briefly, the program to lower the cost of transporting goods in the Philippines, particularly those between southern Philippines and Manila, consist of the following: promotion of competition in terms of service efficiency and rate; development of RO-RO ports to reduce handling fees; addressing the issue of overcharging in cargo handling tariff through audit; amending the bidding terms of reference for cargo handling contracts, particularly the financial bid, by placing premium on how much lower rate can a cargo handler offer to its clients ; pegging government share from the revenue of cargo handling operators to 10% for domestic cargoes and 20% for foreign cargoes; suspension of previously approved increases in wharfage and usage fees; and, convening of the National Port Advisory Council (NPAC) to widen the private sector participation in port policy making.

On the whole, the participants were in agreement that shipping and logistics would increase in importance as Asian economies grow. They recognize the importance of keeping one another informed on the area of WTO regulations on maritime transport which can be achieved through close dialogue and exchange of views among the participants.

The Asian Shipping Forum being one of the venues for sustained cooperation, participants agreed to hold the 9^th Conference in 2003 with the exact venue and date to be confirmed at a later date. The 8^th Asian Shipping Forum ended with profound appreciation of the significant role of shipping and ports in fostering the competitiveness of Asian nations.