Thailand to Conclude RCEP by Next Year.
Can’t Decide CPTPPMemebership by this government.
13-12-2018–Today at Sofitel Sukhumvit Hotel Bangkok, General Directer of Department Of Trade Negotiation (DTN) Auramon Supthaweethum disclosed that Thailand interested to join CPTPP’s membership but we need clear enough information to propose cabinet for approval.
DTN Secretary General said “Now the mechanism or method of how to be CPTPP member remain uncleared.We are waiting for clear information then we can use the mechanism to further conduct in policy level.We are in the outside of the circle of CPTPP and we didn’t know clearly how to be CPTPP membership.Will working group required ?, Must make one by one country negotiation with all 11 countries or negotiate with the 6-7 countries given retification to be CPTPP’s member or must talk to the working committee? Will the appointment time line of the meeting must be set for CPTPP body can be concluded?.What we talk to the country given retification was just opinion, it could be changed in CPTPP meeting that will be held in January next year.”
“Now DTN and Ministry of Commerce were assigned to do internal preparation, taking to government and private sector and we had set some seminar nationwide to talk to people, about what we know about CPTPP at one level. There are both beneficial parts and some parts that must be adjusted for some gap which are remain. The related agencies are now keep working on the matters.” said DTN Secretary General.
By the way, due to Thailand general election was set to be held around February 2019, DTN Secretary General accepted that practically Thailand will not be able to conclude in being CPTPP member by this government.
She said “We are in the outside of the circle of CPTPP but for RCEP Thailand has the leading position as Thailand will Chair ASEAN next year. There are 13 articles of topic which has been talking among RCEP while there are only 7 topics remain to get the conclusion to form RCEP, that means 3.5 billion population size of market or 30% of global market.”
“We plan to have officer level meeting for RCEP at one or two months a time frequency, the first meeting will be held in Bali.Four time meeting was expected to be held by next year in order to wrap up RCEP to be concluded” according to DNT Secretary General.
