FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 April 2007
EAGA maps out 2007 action plan for transport, infra and ICT development
PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWANThe four governments of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area(BIMP-EAGA) are now heading full gear towards an enhanced transportconnectivity, infrastructure and ICT development across the sub-region
as they are mapping out flagship transport, infrastructure and ICTprograms and projects at the 4th BIMP-EAGA Transport/Infrastructureand ICT Development Cluster Meeting.
The meeting opened here yesterday with over 100 delegates from key transport,infrastructure and ICT focused agencies of the four-country grouping.This year’s cluster meeting is chaired by the government of Brunei Darussalam,headed by Ang Kian Guan, director of Transportation/Ministry of Communications of Brunei Darussalam.
Heads of delegation for the other countries include Heru Prasetyo ofthe Ministry of Indonesia for Indonesia, Principal Assistant Secretary Faisaluddin Jenon for Malaysia and Undersecretary Anneli Lontoc of the Department of Transportation and Communication for the Philippines.
“This event is very vital to our development since we are being drawncloser to the rest of the EAGA. Discussions on infrastructure,transport and ICT afford greater possibility of enhancing our physical
connectivity across the sub-region,” Puerto Princesa City Vice Mayor Cecil Bayron said in welcoming the delegates during yesterday’s opening ceremony held at The Legend Hotel here.
Yesterday’s highlights included discussion on the outcomes of recently held BIMP-EAGA meetings, presentation of the Asian Development Bank’s final report on the “Support to Strategize Regional Cooperation inSoutheast Asia: Roadmap for the Development of the Transport Sector in the BIMP-EAGA” and discussion on the preparations for the forthcoming2nd Transport Ministers Meeting in Davao City as well as the 3rd BIMP-EAGA-Darwin Dialogue in Northern Territory, Australia.
Delegates to the EAGA meeting arrived in Puerto Princesa City on Monday and will be staying until today (11 April) to finalize on the agreements and deliverables of TIICTD cluster for the year.TIICTD cluster, under the BIMP-EAGA sub-regional cooperation mechanism, is composed of various working groups on air and sea linkages, land transportation, ICT and telecommunications and constructions and construction materials.These working groups will discuss flagship programs, projects andactivities that will be prioritized for implementation as a strategy to enhance movement of trade, tourism and investment across thesub-region. EAGA programs
and projects under the TIICTD cluster are among the priority targets of the BIMP-EAGA Roadmap to Development for
2006-2010.
During the 3rd BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit held in Cebu City,leaders of BIMP-EAGA noted the progress achieved in the implementation of the roadmap, particularly the initiatives of the TIICTD. The EAGA Leaders specifically tasked the transport ministers to
implement measures towards promoting an efficient and integrated seatransportation system in the sub-region including the designation andestablishment of priority routes linking the focus areas as well asimproving the maritime transport infrastructure facilities.
Created in 1994, BIMP-EAGA is a four-country grouping collectively pursuing sub-regional economic growth. With an estimated 50 million people spreadout across 1.5 million square kilometers of land in four countries, the BIMP-EAGA is Asia’s largest sub-regional cooperation.
