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On 23 September 2016, H.E. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Minister of Transport and Thailand’s IMT-GT Minister had taken the role as Chairman of the 22nd Ministerial Meeting of the IMT-GT co-hosted by National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) and Ministry of Interior at Sentido Graceland Khao Lak Resort & Spa. The Meeting was also attended by H.E. Thomas Trikasih Lembong, Chairperson of Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board as Alternate IMT-GT Minister of Indonesia and H.E. Datuk Abdul Rahman bin Dahlan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia as IMT-GT Minister of Malaysia.
The Meeting was also attended by IMT-GT Senior Offcials namely Hon. Dr. Porametee Vimolsiri, Secretary General of National Economic and Social Development Board of Thailand with the role of Chairman of the 23rd Senior Officials’ Meeting arranged earlier on 21st September 2016, Hon. Dr. Rizal Affandi Lukman, Deputy Minister for International Economic Cooperation, Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, Indonesia and Hon. Dato’ Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid, Deputy Director General (Policy), Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia.
IMT-GT Governors and Chief Ministers who also attended the Meeting were Hon. Mr. Phakkaphong Tawipatana, Governor of Phang Nga province who had also taken the role as Chairman of the 13th Chief Ministers and Governors’ Forum, arranged on 22nd September 2016, Hon. Dr. Ekowati Retnaningsih, Head of South Sumatra province’s Development Planning Agency at Sub-national Level, and Hon. Ku Rahman Ku Ismail, State Executive Committee Member of Kedah State. Together, representatives from International Organizations as IMT-GT Development Partners who also attended the Meeting were Hon. Mr. James Nugent, Director-General, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Hon. Mr. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary General for Socio-Cultural Community and Hon. Mr. Pairote Potivong, Director of Center for IMT-GT Sub-regional Cooperation.
The Meeting had Agreed on significant matters as follows;
1. The 22nd Ministerial Meeting had acknowledged the results of the 23rd Senior Officials’ Meeting convened on 22nd September 2016 of which the success in mobilizing the final year of the Second IMT-GT Implementation Blueprint 2012-1016 in 6 areas of cooperation namely (1) Infrastructure Development and Transportation (2) Trade and Investment (3) Tourism (4) Halal Products and Services (5) Human Resource Management and (6) Agriculture, Agro-processing and Environment. From these 6 areas, among others, significant projects achieved were uplifting of Sadao Border Post of which H.E. Prime Minister had graciously officiate in December 2015, Ban Prokob CIQS-Durian CIQS, both link Songkhla province and Kedah state, Establishment of Special Economic Zone at Songkhla-Kedah-Perlis, and Narathiwat-Kelantan to urge cross border value chain linkages. Besides, Malaysia initiative at Chuping Valley Industrial Zone was also planned to link with Sadao Special Border Economic Zone and Rubber City in Southern Region Industrial Estate in Hat Yai. While RoRo Ferry services between Melaka-Dumai has been conducted. Most of these project were facilitate connectivity in ASEAN. While strengthen of agricultural value chains in livestock, aquaculture and horticultures had been in progress such as Surath Red goat in Thailand, Halal Route, Halal Tourism, a Magic Journey along the Traversed Route of Luang Pu Tuad in Thailand and Malaysia, Exchange in Capacity Building Programmes.
2. The Meeting had also agreed in principle in the Interim Study on IMT-GT Comprehensive Review, Strategic Planning for the Long Term Vision responding to the rapid change in global economy and finalization of Implementation Blueprint 2012-2016 and Preparation for the Third Implementation Blueprint during 2017-2021. The new strategy will focus on Innovation, inclusivity and sustainability. Most doable projects and low hanging projects will be selected with complementarities among sub-region. Among, new 7 areas of cooperation, agriculture, tourism and Halal products and services will be main targets. While 4 enablers will be connectivity, trade and investment, HRD and environment.
Center for IMT-GT Sub-regional Cooperation will take into consideration views from IMT-GT Minister to come up with full report to be screened by all IMT-GT Mechanism by March 2016 and to be presented the end product to the leaders during the 10th IMT-GT Summit to be arranged in April 2017 in the Philippines.
The Meeting also earmarked on various initiatives to be under the Third Implementation Blueprint such as construction of new bridge link at Tak Bai-Tumpat and the second bridge link at Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang with the plan for joint ground breaking ceremony by the Prime minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Malaysia in mid 2017.
3. The Meeting took note on the Report of the 13th Chief Ministers and Governors’ Forum arranged on 22nd September 2016. Among others, the concrete progress were arrangement of green cities initiatives in Melaka, mobilizing of green cities in Hat Yai, Songkhla, Melaka, Batam and Medan of which the First IMT-GT Green Council had been arranged in Melaka while the second Green Council Meeting will be hosted by Songkhla province in August 2017. While energy saving had been success in Malaka and in Songkhla, 17 buildings are on the list in Songkhla. While Dumai-Melaka RoRo Ferry, the signing of cooperation between Tradewind Plantation and Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand had been conducted, old towns tourism trail, Halal tourism, and Sabang Smart Travel Forum had also been conducted.
4. The Ministers had also emphasized on roles of private sector of IMT-GT of which Joint Business Council had taken the leading roles in bonding between government and private sectors. While various CIQ links had been proposed for accelerating, Initiatives for further facilitation on cross border transport for passengers and goods, cross border value chains on rubber, tourism trail linking Aceh-Penang-Phuket-HatYai, establishment of Halal logistics center had been proposed and accepted for consideration. While Tourism trail on old heritages link had also initiated between Medan-Penang-Melaka-Songkhla.
5. Cooperation among IMT-GT UNINET currently chaired by Syiah Kuala University, Aceh, Indonesia has been conducted aiming to uplift roles of IMT-GT universities in joint tasks between public and private sector on research and development, talent mobility and better understanding between IMT-GT people through cultures and education.
Indonesia will be the host of the 23rd Ministerial Meeting and other Related Meetings in Bangka-Belitung province in late 2017.
International Coordination Office,
National Economic and Social Defelopment Board (NESDB)
23 September 2016.
Further download more documents on IMT-GT Cooperation at www.nesdb.go.th
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