Background

 In line with the “Statistical Capacity Building for Harmonization of ASEAN International Trade in Goods and Services Indicators” project, ASEAN Secretariat, in collaboration with Thailand National Statistical Office (TNSO) is organizing an ASEAN International Merchandise Trade Statistics Workshop.

The workshop is part of a series of efforts being carried out to identify gaps and specific needs to harmonize international merchandise trade (IMT) statistics and formulate a regional work plan for harmonization of IMT statistics. The above project is funded by the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program-Regional Partnership Scheme (AADCP-RPS).

Prior to the workshop, review of national IMT statistical system in Cambodia, Lao, and Viet Nam has been conducted by Mr. John Billing, the project consultant, who has also assisted the countries in formulating the national work plan on capacity building for harmonization of IMT statistics. Reference to report and work plan templates to be provided by project consultant once contact / focal point identified in each country.

The ASEAN Secretariat, under the EC-ASEAN statistics programme is currently working on finalization of programme design, a major portion of which will be devoted to harmonization of IMT statistics. Preparation of a regional work plan under the AADCP-RPS, would be crucial, as the resulting plan would be considered in the implementation of the EC-ASEAN Statistics Programme, expected to commence in early 2007.

Participants

Participants will be the experts in IMT statistics from the AMCs national statistical office and / or other national agencies dealing closely with IMT statistics compilation e.g. customs departments. Travel accommodation and other expenses will be made for 2 representatives from each invited country (Excluding host country). Other representatives can attend at their own cost. (Click here to see Participant List)

Objective

The objective of the workshop is to review statistical gaps and needs, to standardize data collection, dissemination and timeliness, as well as to formulate a regional work plan on IMT statistics and establish a regional task force.

Workshop design

The workshop will be held for three full days in plenary. The consultant shall present a draft regional work plan for comments. The ASEAN Secretariat shall present issues and data requirements from regional perspective. The AMCs representatives will be requested to present 2 country papers, one on the national work plan on IMT statistics and the other one on issues related to the compilation of IMT statistics. An open forum will be provided to discuss ways of addressing the identified issues to improve the regional work plan as well as the national work plan. The consultant will also present a concept paper and draft terms of reference for the establishment of the task force on harmonization of the IMT statistics.

Download Materials

The following are useful files related to the workshop :

• Invitation Letter ( Invitation Letter from Thailand NSO )

• Information Notes ( Information about the workshop and the attendance information form )

• Tentative Agenda and Annotated Agenda ( Time Schedule of the workshop )

• Guidelines of IMT Report Country and Plan Country ( The templates for report country and plan country that has to be submitted by each country )

• Example of IMT Report Country and Plan Country - Vietnam ( The example of report and plan country that have been made by Vietnam )

• IMT and ITS Contact Officers ( The List of Focal Points from each country)

• All of the above files ( download the zip file of all the above IMTS workshop files )

• Country reports :

  • Brunei Darussalam

  • Cambodia

  • Indonesia

  • Lao PDR

  • Malaysia

  • Myanmar

  • Philippines

  • Singapore

  • Thailand

  • Vietnam

• There will be another materials that can be downloaded, e.g. report of the workshops, Regional Plan, etc

• PKUNZIP ( Please Download this - 29kb size - software just if you don't have software to open the ZIP file. USAGE : type in DOS command : PKUNZIP "the zip file"  , for example "c:\111\pkunzip imts.zip" if you open the imts.zip in drive "C" directory "111" with pkunzip.exe in the same directory )

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