Tag: Asia

Customs-clearing tax in Thailand draws fire

Posted by | Aug 9, 2002 | |

A change in the fees charged for customs-clearing services in Thailand was announced in July 2002. The air express industry believes that the change in policy represents a breach of the commitments of Thailand to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because the Thai Department of Customs did not consult with the industry prior to changing the fees. A formal complaint was submitted to the Thai Ministry of Finance by the Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers. DHL Worldwide Express and TPG (TNT Post) are two of the members of that organisation. Federal Express Corporation and United Parcel Service have also complained about the adoption of overtime taxes for customs-clearing services outside of standard working hours.

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Couriers upset over customs fee hike

Posted by | Aug 9, 2002 | |

Couriers have joined forces against an abrupt increase in overtime charges imposed by the Customs Department, which have gone up by between 500 per cent and a massive 28,000 per cent.The Conference of Asia-Pacific Express Carriers (CAPEC) – whose members include DHL, FedEx, TNT and UPS – has called for an immediate suspension of the additional overtime charges, citing a violation of international trade regulations.
The group has also asked for immediate consultations with the government, saying the move could affect the country’s long-term aspirations to become a regional cargo hub, Ian Impey, head of the conference, said in a telephone interview from Brussels.
The Customs Department imposed overtime charges on air-express companies by factors of 500-28,000 per cent, effective July 16. The department informed the air-express operators on July 16 that the decision had been made to increase overtime charges for Customs clearance activities that are conducted outside of standard operating hours. The revised regime is based on levying the overtime charges on an individual airway bill.

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Vietnam Post And Telecoms To Separate On Aug 15

Posted by | Aug 9, 2002 | |

The long-awaited split of the post and telecommunication services will be carried out in 61 provinces and cities nationwide on Aug. 15, according to the Postal Information Centre.
This is the first step in preparation for the establishment of the post corporation and the telecommunications corporation, and the forming of a State conglomerate of post companies and telecommunications companies.
The postal sector, with a staff accounting for 49 per cent of the country’s post and telecommunications service, has revenues representing only 5-7 per cent of the service’s turnover. Consequently, the telecommunications sector has to compensate for the losses in the postal sector, and the international services follow suit for the domestic services. In this situation, both the postal and the telecommunications sectors cannot expand and improve their services.
Since October 2001, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corporation has split, on an experimental basis, the postal services from the telecommunication services in 10 provinces. The test showed that the postal sector operated more effectively with revenues representing 18-30 per cent of the total group’s turnover.
This separation of the post and telecommunications services enjoys the State’s financial support in the form of preferential tax rates as well as investment in a number of services for social welfare.

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Guangdong to open logistics industry to overseas investment

Posted by | Aug 8, 2002 | |

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation has chosen south China’s Guangdong Province as one of the first regions to be opened to overseas investment in the logistics sector.
According to sources with the Guangdong Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Department, the opening up will be conducted on a trial basis and will also be introduced to east China’s Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and major Chinese cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Overseas investors will be permitted to set up logistics firms and invest in international logistics businesses as Sino-foreign cooperative ventures or Sino-foreign joint ventures. Registered capital from these enterprises must be no less than US$5 million.

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Japan Post Competitors to Seize Market Share

Posted by | Aug 8, 2002 | |

A potentially profitable regulatory change [Japan] has landed on the doorstep of parcel delivery companies. And Yamato Transport Co. is wasting no time in getting the wrapping off its new business plans. The nation’s largest private parcel delivery service and some of its rivals plan to expand their home delivery of unsolicited direct mail, magazines and catalogs. These moves are a response to the government’s recent decision to relax regulations governing the sort of mail the private sector is permitted to handle. Posts minister Toranosuke Katayama opened the door for private delivery companies to snare a bigger share of the fast-growing market on July 4, when he told a Diet committee that certain kinds of direct mail will no longer be regarded as ‘personal letters.’

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