Customs Matters

The Working Group on Customs Matters held its Eight Meeting in Manila in March 1985. It reviewed the progress made on the standardization and harmonization of the Air Passenger Baggage Declaration Form and other Customs Forms. The Group agreed to continue to update information on existing practices in the field of prevention, investigation and repression of customs offences and drug trafficking. It exchanged information on customs import and export procedures and the drawback and warehousing. It also agreed to undertake a comprehensive study on the establishment of an ASEAN Customs Institute for Training and Research (ACITAR).

Insurance Matters

The Tenth Meeting of the ASEAN Insurance Commissioners (AICs) was held in Kuala Lumpur in September 1984. The AICs agreed on the following:

1. To continue working towards harmonizing insurance laws in the ASEAN region with emphasis on non-life insurance with a view to enhancing a greater exchange of business among ASEAN insurance companies;

2. To publish and circulate a summary review of ASEAN Unified Insurance Statistics for the information of insurers in the region;

3. To continue pursuing regional mortality studies on assured lives on a long-term basis;

4. To consider the possibility of relaxing existing legal barriers with a view to promoting greater exchange of insurance business within the region.

5. To encourage a greater involvement of the insurance industry in loss prevention measures;

6. To exchange information and experiences on the security of reinsurance in the respective ASEAN countries;

7. To review and rationalize ASEAN insurance cooperation with third countries and to pursue active cooperation with EEC, Japan and USA.

Progress was made in insurance cooperation with the US. With the cooperation of the ASEAN Insurance Council and the US-ASEAN Centre for Technology Exchange, Financial Surveillance and Security Assessment Insurance Seminars were held in Jakarta from 6 - 7 May, in Kuala Lumpur from 9 - 10 May and in Manila from 13 - 14 May 1985.

The Thirteenth COFAB Meeting agreed to seek UNDP funding for a project proposal on Training of Supervisory Staff of ASEAN Insurance Commissions at the Insurance Institute for Asia and the Pacific (IIAA) for implementation in 1985 and 1986.

ASEAN Banking Training

Luxembourg has indicated that it is ready to finance banking training in Luxembourg for ASEAN member countries. The names of ASEAN participants have already been submitted to Luxembourg for consideration.

Tax Matters

The working Group on Tax Matters continued its work on the computerization for tax administration operations and the transfer pricing practices. Country experiences were intensively ex- changed. Among the main topics discussed were the training of data processing personnel, including the possibility of a joint training programme, the experience in computerization of assessment and collection of income tax, the experience in investigation and the transfer pricing practices in the automobile industry.

Member countries also exchanged views on the status of the avoidance of double taxatior agreements.

Avoidance of Double Taxation

Further progress was made in this area During the year, the Malaysia-Philippines Agreement entered into force. Preliminary discussions or this subject between Brunei Darussalam and Singapore took place during the year.