The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Strategic Framework 2012-2022 for second phrase of regional countries will contribute benefit for development project and cooperation in the future and it will guideline to lead GMS countries to new stage of development and cooperation. The six participating countries in the GMS Economic Cooperation program reviewed and agreed on new GMS strategic framework at 17th GMS Ministerial Conference which was held on August 2-4 in Phnom Penh.
The second phase of the GMS program will focus on development of GMS corridors through multi-sector investments in urban development, rural and feeder road, area development, logistics, and power. And it is also mainly deal increasingly with software issues such as transport and trade facilitation, development of regional power market, multimodal transport including railways, logistics development, and inter-link between food security, energy sufficiency and climate change, the report from the meeting said.
Speaking at meeting at Peace Palace, Senior Minister H.E Cham Prasidh, Minister of Commerce and GMS Minister of Cambodia, said that the new GMS framework which shall be our guide in moving the GMS program forward in its third decade. Since the GMS program commenced in 1992, Cambodia have witnessed the amazing economic and social transformation on virtually all fronts-GDP growth, increasing in exports, intra-regional trade, and openness ratios, rising in investment and overall most importantly decline in poverty in the country.
“The greater connectivity and integration that the GMS program created afforded economies of scale and larger market opportunities which have turned to attract more investment, created employment, increased incomes, and fostered broad-based economic growth,” the minister stressed.
At the event, H.E. Zhang Shaochun, GMS Minister of China, said that the new GMS strategy framework will provide opportunities as well as challenges for each country and identify the cooperation with basic principles in directing the goal and priority cooperation for future cooperation framework direction. As a member of GMS, China has supported GMS members through many activities. In 2005, China took $20 million to establish China’s regional cooperation and poverty reduction fund at ADB. Through six year, it promoted 47 projects and $8.67 million finance added to support GMS members.
He mentioned that China also added $20 million finance to China’s regional cooperation and poverty reduction fund in 44th GMS meeting to continue promote regional cooperation and development.
H.E. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, GMS Minister of Thailand, said that he hope all GMS countries would implement the strategy framework plan effectively in next decade so that they can solve trade and transportation barrier to attract more investment for regional. H.E. Vo Hong Phuc, GMS Minister of Vietnam, also call on all members to speed up to take off trade barrier to promote development cooperation GMS regional areas for more progress.
Bindu Lohani, Vice President-in-charge of Asian Development Bank said: “the success of GMS’s program owes largely to its flexibility and pragmatism to its ability to respond to new challenges and adapt to new circumstances.” “The GMS Strategic Framework’s final endorsement for 2012-2022 will summit to GMS leaders to adopt in the 4th GMS Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in December,” according to joint ministerial statement.
In 1992, with assistance from ADB, the government of Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Name launched the GMS program of sub-regional economic cooperation. In the GMS project, ADB contribute $5 billion while GMS government and development partners have provided about $4.3 and $4.6 billion respectively. Meanwhile, ADB also supported 173 technical assistance project totaling $240 million.
Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, August 7-13, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 32, Page 6
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