"The main obstacle to trade in goods and services are non-tariff barriers," she said after the opening of an ASEAN Business and Investment Summit here on Thursday.
Mari who is now tourism and creative economy minister said tariff barriers to a variety of goods and service flows in Southeast Asia were relatively not as heavy as non-tariff barriers because many tariffs were low.
Among the non-tariff barriers were the lengthy procedures of applying for documents to ship goods as well as to implement the ASEAN Single Window, she said.
The other non-tariff barriers were related to infrastructures which she said were important to improve the competitiveness of products.
The ASEAN Masterplan on Connectivity dealt not only with the physical development of infrastructures but also with the development of institutions such as customs and immigration offices in ASEAN member countries, she said.
"So the problem is how to ensure smooth trade in goods and services without reducing control function," she said.
(T.M040*R017/S012/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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