Transcript GMS Countries` Agricultural Smuggling Dialogue

GMS Countries’
Agricultural Informal Border Trade
(Smuggling) Dialogue
Team composition
Overview
• What is smuggling?: Smuggling occur when
people bringing things from other countries
illegally, secretly and against the rules of the
customs.
• Why it is important? It can bring in contagious
diseases. It reduce the agricultural prices.
• Some examples: the migration of workers,
human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal logging
and trafficking, car stealing, agriculture goods.
Where do smuggling activity occur?
-Thailand-Lao PDR: 1,810 km
-Chiang Rai to Ubon
Ratchathani
- 36 crossing Points, 21
informal.
-Thailand - Cambodia : 800 km
-Ubon Ratchathani to Trat
- one international checkpoint (Koh kong and Trat
province)
-Thailand – Myanmar
-4 check points :Taichilek,
Kawthoung, Myawaddy, Myiek
-
Cambodia – Vietnam
- at least 2 crossing points: Moc Bai
(Bavet) and Tay Ninh province (Chrey
Thom)
- China – Myanmar
- At least 3 important place: Ruili,
Tengchung, Wanding
Example of Agricultural Smuggling
• Commodities: rice, maize, cassava
– Route: Laos, Cambodia  Thailand
– Why?: Thai government guarantee price to help
Thai farmers, therefore, do not want to get
commodities from other countries
• Other Commodities: Smuggling Garlic, onion,
shallot, potatoes, and silk yarn
–  Oversupply of commodities
– -> reduce the prices
Another Example…
• More: Thailand -> Cambodia : eggs, chicken,
pigs, fruits
• Commodities: cows, chicken
– Route: Myanmar  Thailand
– Why?: Animal health control
Objectives
• To communicate what are the main concerns
of agriculture smuggling problem in GMS
countries.
• To identifying location, commodities, logistics
of the smuggling as well as what cause the
smuggling and solve the problem
Expected output
• Meeting among GMS countries
• Site visits
• Executive summary and policy recommendation
• Memorandum of understanding (MOU)
Joint Action Plan
Key Activity
Target Dates
Location
By who
With/for
whom
Meeting
among GMS
countries
1 May 2010
Chiang Rai
Province,
Thailand
GMS countries
member
GMS countries
member
Site visits
1 June – August Major GMS
2010
international
check point
GMS countries
member
GMS countries
member
Summary and
recommendati
on
(Consultation
meeting)
1 October 2010 Yunnan
GMS countries
province, China member
GMS countries
member
Sign MOU
10 October
2010
GMS countries
member
Siemreap
GMS countries
member
Some suggestions to reduce smuggling
• Freer agri-trade and enabling policy environment
• Set up a quarantine and inspection mechanism
• Strengthen agri–exchange and cooperation
among GMS countries
• Education (risk of health) and punish
• Fruit “ID card”, linking information of fruit to be
traded set up good data base that link
information among GMS countries
Thank you for your kind
attention !