ASEAN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON SERVICES

ASEAN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON SERVICES: 3.

Ms Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) if he will provide an update on the status of the arrangements on Professional Engineering, Architectural Services and Construction Services under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services; (b) how have these service agreements translated into actual practice for Singapore’s engineering and construction industries; and (c) how did the Ministry get feedback from local industry players before it entered into

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discussions to work out these service agreements.

The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Mr Lee Yi Shyan) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are several Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) negotiations that we are involved in under the ambit of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS). These are MRAs on Engineering Services, Architectural Services, and Land Surveying Services, among others. ASEAN signed an MRA on Engineering Services in December 2005, while the other MRAs are currently under active negotiations.

Upon the signing of the MRA, we are required to establish the agreed structures, such as the monitoring committee to develop process and maintain an ASEAN Chartered Engineers' Register and the ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineering Coordinating Committee to assess and confer the title of ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer. This will then allow our engineers to be recognised as an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer and work in collaboration with designated Professional Engineers of the host ASEAN countries without having to undertake the usual domestic registration requirements.

To date, there are five ASEAN members, namely, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, participating in the Engineering Services MRA. Laos had recently indicated their interest in becoming the sixth member.

Members are currently in the process of setting up the agreed structures to implement the MRA. This process is expected to take another six months. Upon completion, the MRA on Engineering Services is expected to enable our qualified engineers to move freely

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between Singapore and the various ASEAN countries.

For ASEAN, our top priority is to enhance economic integration among member countries towards achieving the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. MRAs seek to achieve this by facilitating the movement of skilled professionals across borders. The ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services, for instance, creates a regional platform for the mutual recognition of registration requirements for foreign engineers. In the past, foreign engineers had to be registered with the local regulatory authorities and meet various requirements before they were permitted to provide engineering services in the respective ASEAN countries.

In our FTA negotiations, whether within ASEAN or otherwise, MTI periodically conducts consultations with our partner agencies, business associations, professional bodies, and companies to identify their interests, targets, and their requirements with regard to a particular market. In some instances, our professional bodies, such as the Professional Engineers Board, Land Surveyors Board and Board of Architects, even participate in negotiations alongside with MTI's staff in external meetings. This is to ensure that the industry's inputs are fully incorporated into the negotiations with external bodies. MTI would undertake periodic consultations with these professional bodies and others which Members of this House might recommend, to ensure that our industry interests are maintained and that these MRAs meet the primary objective of facilitating trade and services.

Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I would like to thank the Minister of State for the comprehensive briefing. I would like to recommend the Minister of State to involve more industry players, such as the Institution of Engineers and the Singapore

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Institute of Architects, in the consultation and negotiation processes.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with Ms Lee's recommendation.