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APEC officials seek expert advice

1 October 2008

Regulatory officials from APEC economies, including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Representatives from agriculture and trade ministries in the Asia-Pacific region have sought guidance from Monash University's Australian APEC Study Centre on Trade reforms.

The representatives visited the centre to learn how to reform agricultural trade in the emerging policy environment of higher agricultural prices.

Centre chairman Alan Oxley said reforming agricultural policy to improve productivity and increase trade would improve incomes and reduce poverty.

"The rise in commodity prices is a paradigm shift in the policy environment," Mr Oxley said.

"It creates a new opportunity to present afresh the benefits and utility of using open market reform tools.

"The officials we train will be able to respond to the impacts of rising prices as well as the challenges that improve the contribution of agricultural production to economic growth."

Mr Oxley said Monash was able to share its experience and technical capacity with emerging economies as they grow and demand new regulatory frameworks to strengthen agricultural production and income generation.

"Monash University's APEC Study Centre has experienced people to assist with developing policy reform programs and it also has the benefit of being able to draw on first-hand knowledge gained through the success of Australian policy regimes," Mr Oxley said.

For more information visit the Australian APEC Study Centre website.