The Sixteenth Meeting of the Forum of the Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA XVI) was convened in Chiang Rai, Thailand on 25-28 April 2000.

Mr.Samrerng Poonyopakorn, Governor of Chiang Rai Province welcomed the leaders and members of the delegations from the ASEAN countries to the Meeting.

The Meeting was officially opened by Mr.Viravat Chlayon, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

Mr.Sivavong Changkasiri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand delivered a Keynote Speech on the region's energy challenges to the Meeting.

The Meeting was attended by Mr.Hj Osman Hj Tamin, Senior Executive Engineer, Department of Electrical Services, Brunei Darussalam; Dr. Ty Norin, Deputy Managing Director, Electricite du Cambodge, Cambodia; Mr.Eddie Widiono, Director of Planning, Perusahan Umum Listrik Negara, The Republic of Indonesia; Mr.Khamphone Saignasane, Deputy General Manager of Electricite du Laos, Lao People's Democratic Republic; Dato Fuad Jaafar, Senior Vice President of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia; Mr.Federico Puno, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Power Corporation, The Republic of the Philippines; Brigadier General (BG) Boey Tak Hap, President and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Power Ltd, Singapore; Mr.Viravat Chlayon, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Thailand; Mr.Hoang Trung Hai, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity of Viet Nam, The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; and their respective delegations. Dr.Guillermo R. Balce, Executive Director of ASEAN Center for Energy and Mr.Honorio R. Vitasa, Assistant Director of the ASEAN Secretariat, also attended the Meeting.

Mr.Viravat Chlayon, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand as leader of the Thai delegation was elected as Chairman of the Meeting. Mr.Hoang Trung Hai, Leader of the Viet Nam delegation was elected as Vice-Chairman.

HAPUA XVI reviewed the current development of each member country and the implementation status of the ten (10) HAPUA Cooperation Projects and expressed satisfaction over the progress made since the HAPUA XV Meeting in Singapore. The ten cooperation projects comprise Micro/Mini Hydro Development; Interconnection; Research, Development and Engineering; Training and Development; Geothermal Energy Development; Rural and Urban Electrification; Standardisation; Electric Power Information Centre; Use of Combined Cycle Power Plants, and Corporatisation/Privatisation of Electric Power Utilities.

The Meeting deliberated on the Interconnection Master Plan Study and agreed to nominate representative from member utilities to be the Working Group of the Interconnection Master Plan Study. The Meeting endorsed the composition of the Working Group with EGAT as chairman. With respect to the Master Plan Study, the Meeting agreed that member countries to contribute the personnel and experts to do the initial study; and to seek external funding to support the Study.

In the implementation of the ASEAN interconnection projects, the Meeting agreed that one possibility would be the formation of a joint venture company by HAPUA member utilities to undertake the project implementation. The Meeting also agreed on the importance of addressing the regulatory and commercial issues in the Interconnection Master Plan Study.

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Forum of the Heads of ASEAN Power Utilities/Authorities (HAPUA XVI) will be held in Viet Nam.

The delegations from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam, the Executive Director of ASEAN Center for Energy and ASEAN Secretariat expressed their sincere appreciation to the government of Thailand and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand for the warm hospitality accorded to them and the superb arrangements made for them for the meeting in Chiang Rai.

The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN cordiality and solidarity.