RWHT/IEMEETD/Forum Rev (1) An Understanding of the ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services By: Engr. Rocky H.T. Wong, FIEM, PEng Hon. FAFEO ASEAN Engr. For the Forum organised by the IEM Electrical Engineering Technical Division, Hotel Singgahsana, P.J., Malaysia Sat., 28 April 2007

2  The ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services (CPC8672) was signed by all the 10 ASEAN Economic Ministers on the side-line of the 11th ASEAN Summit, Kuala Lumpur, December  It is more than a year since 9th December 2005, when the MRA came into being, yet it has not been operationalised! Why?

3  MRA stands for “Mutual Recognition Arrangement”  An MRA for a specific sector is to facilitate free trade in that sector specific, with least limitations and absence of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).  An MRA is regulators-driven, during framing & operation.

4  The startline and template: WTO/GATS; Either AFTA/AFAS MRA; Or FTA MRA.  For WTO/GATS PLUS; “F” for “Free”, or “preFerential” in either AFTA, or FTA.

5  Trade in Services; 4 modes of supply: o Mode 1 – Cross border trade; o Mode 2 – Consumption abroad; o Mode 3 – Commercial presence; and o Mode 4 – Presence of natural persons.  Limitations may be attached to the Schedulings of National Commitments  Limitations of commitments – comparable to tariff concessions for trade in goods

6  In the context of trade in services; domestic regulatory regime and measures equivalent to TBT  ASEAN Vision 2020; end goal of AFTA ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by way of ASEAN Economic Integration (AEI) meaning an ASEAN – wide common market and a borderless production base no limitations for schedulings of commitments among ASEAN member countries?

7  In AFTA, AFAS deals with trade in services under CCS.  The ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services is the first MRA on services signed by ASEAN – member countries; the time then was to do the “Doables” - hence only Engineering Service (CPC 8672) was dealt with.

8  The characteristic and contexts of the MRA; o Objectives: - (i) to facilitate mobility of engineering services professionals; and (ii) to exchange information in order to promote adoption of best practices on standards and qualifications o PRA MC peer-based regulation for MRA operation.

9  To qualify as an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) the natural person engineer must have:- (i) Completed an Accredited Engineering Degree; (ii) Licensed (by domestic PRA) to practice independently; (iii) No less than 7 years experience after graduation – with at least 2 years in responsible charge of significant work; (iv) CPD – in compliance to national policy; (v) Certified (by domestic PRA) to be free of serious violation of “acts”; (vi) Screened by and registerd with ACPECC secretariat (yet to be established) upon payment of registration fee.

10  An ASEAN natural-person engineer now registered an ACPE with the ACPECC Secretariat (and concurrently registered by the domestic PRA’s MC), and who wishes to practice (not in independent practice) in a host (other ASEAN) country in collaboration with a local ACPE, must apply to the said host nation’s PRA (MC) to be a RFPE (and again to pay another registration fee?)

11  On the other hand, at the ASEAN peer-grass-roots level, we have the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) and the downstream ASEAN Engineers Register (AER) which established the following as qualifications for a natural person to be registered as an ASEAN Engineer:- o Engineering degree recognized by domestic institution; o Corporate member of domestic institution, and licensed to practice; o Minimum 7 years post graduate working experience in an engineering environment; and o Subscribe to CPD.

12  Among the objectives of the AER are:- o Continuous updating of engineering capabilities; o Harmonise the standard of engineering practice; and o Gain international recognition to facilitate the mobility of ASEAN Engineers

13  The AER and AFEO have adopted the ASEAN Engineering Code of Practice which is listed below:- o Code of Ethics; o Accreditation Procedure; o Professional Assessment Process; o Continuing Professional Development (CPD); and o Policy Statement on Design Codes and Standards.

14  Question : How to operationalise the ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services using ASEAN peer-grass-roots standards of the universally accepted Code of Practice of engineering services?  And, what about Integrated Engineering Services (CPC 8673)?

15 THANK YOU