053007: Australia's NT is ICT, trading gateway in BIMP-EAGA

By Manuel T. Cayon

Reporter

DAVAO CITY—The Northern Territory of Australia opened up an improved version of the Internet web site of the East Asean Growth Area (EAGA), setting itself as the information and trading gateway to this economic cooperation of four countries in East Asia. Quentin Kilian of Australia’s Northern Territory government’s Department of the Chief Minister said that the web site of EAGA —comprised of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP)—would become an undertaking of the major industry and government agencies of each member-country, whose role in the web site would be largely administrators of information and linkages of each area. Kilian said the building of the site was an effort by northern territory to place itself as the trading gateway to the BIMP-EAGA, where the other member-countries also try to establish separate and distinct business images and expertise, including being the major producer of a certain product. The Philippines, for instance, is assigned as the major producer of seaweeds, and of poultry for the EAGA-wide chicken production. Brunei Darussalam would be the halal-certifying body in the subregion. “We are looking at how to expand these production capacities and services, and so we would help by providing the trading gateway for businesses within and outside the BIMP,” he said. The web site, www.bebp.org, would serve as information network of businesses and trading potentials of each country, which would be mainly provided by business establishments and corporations, or by the country administrators of each country, through their business chambers and economic councils. In Mindanao, the Philippine link to the BIMP-EAGA, the administrators would be the Mindanao Business Chamber, the Department of Trade and Industry and the government’s socioeconomic planning in Mindanao, the Mindanao Economic Development Council. Kilian, the director of the Asian relations, the trade and major projects division of the Department of the Chief Minister, said that the web-site development was not only Northern Territory’s effort but “actually the aggregate work of the administrators of the project.” “This web site is only one effort at increasing and facilitating regional trading both within the BIMP and outside the subregion.

 

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/05302007/economy04.html