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The Japanese business sector expressed its willingness to cooperate in assisting ASEAN with its post-2015 development. The private sector representatives also voiced confidence on the growth prospects of the ASEAN economy. These were conveyed during the 8th Dialogue between the Federation of Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in ASEAN (FJCCIA) and H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, held on August 21, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur at the side-lines of the 47th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting.
During the Dialogue, the Japanese private sector communicated their strong interest in several initiatives of ASEAN. They were especially keen on several on-going ASEAN trade facilitation measures on customs and rules of origin. In particular, they welcomed the projects on the ASEAN Single Window and Self-Certification, which when completed will provide exporters and businesses more timely clearance of goods and reduce their costs of doing business.
The FJCCIA representatives were also interested in issues pertaining to standards and requested for information to be made more easily accessible, especially on products that are subject to mandatory certification, the issuance process of certificates of conformance and the test laboratories availability. The mobility of labour, financial sector liberalisation and taxation issues also represented issues of importance to businesses.
The FJCCIA presented their views on the post-2015 scenario for ASEAN, particular in respect of seeking to secure skilled industrial human resources in ASEAN, the development of rules and regulations which enable cross-border transportation and initiatives that encourage industry-wide conformity of standards and specifications. In particular, they expressed willingness to cooperate in developing vocational training programmes in ASEAN and to engage in a ten-year plan with ASEAN for human resource development.
The Japanese private sector has a strong and important presence in ASEAN. Japanese FDI in the last five years have reached up to USD 80 billion. The number of Japanese companies in ASEAN who are members of FJCCIA has increased by almost 20% since 2012 to 6,500.